Restart Myself
by SohmaAkira
Summary: OC-centric. Tatsuki Yuuki has now resolved to become a professional idol and forget his past. But, will the past come back to haunt him once more? What challenges await him on the path to become Top Idol? May have some OOC moments and slow.
1. Chapter 1

Producer's POV

"Ah, this is very tiring…"

I sighed heavily as I looked at the papers containing the idols' contract for their CMs and television shows. I needed to make sure that I memorize the information listed inside so that their schedules were not double packed when I arrange them. This is one of the jobs that I had to do as one of the producers at 765 Productions. As some producers only produce two or three idols, I had to juggle between 9 idols. One of the reasons was because we were understaffed due to low funds. Even though there was another producer with me, she was stuck with three idols to manage. The unit, named 'Ryuugu Komachi' was quickly rising in popularity. So, she had to focus on the unit's activities and had no time to help me. The other idols were slowly getting popular too. However, I promised them that I would make them top idols, so I need to work harder to realize that goal.

_The only ones here are me, Otonashi-san and Shachou. Everyone sure is busy…_

"What's wrong, Producer-san? Feeling tired?"

A young woman who had brown eyes and short green hair that goes down to her neck said that with a smile while bringing a cup of hot green tea to me. She wore a yellow headphone set which doubles as a hair band. She donned a white dress-shirt and black and green vest with a large yellow bowtie, a black skirt and nylon stockings with a pair of white high-heeled shoes.

"Oh, Otonashi-san…"

Her name was Otonashi Kotori, the secretary at 765 Productions. Whenever everyone is busy with their schedules, she'll always lend a helping hand.

I grabbed the cup of green tea and drank it before sighing again and said,

"I wish that Shachou would hire some help around here,"

"Well, it can't be helped. Our company is poor and there is not enough money to hire another producer."

"I guess you're right. We'll have to work hard to earn some money then."

"Good luck then. By the way, Shachou called you to his office."

Otonashi-san then went back to work.

_Shachou wanted to see me? I wonder why…_

I put down the papers on my desk and walked to Shachou's office. I knocked on the door and said,

"Shachou, you wanted to see me?"

A voice was then heard from inside the room.

"Ah, yes. Come in!"

As I opened the door, I found our president, Takagi Junjirou, sitting at his seat, looking at some papers before putting them down and said,

"I have an important announcement to make."

"An important announcement?"

I was curious. What could the announcement be? Maybe it's about the hiring of a new producer?

"Actually, I decided to hold a concert at Kyoto in a week. The reason is because we need to increase our funds. Also, since you and Ritsuko-chan were so busy with the idols, I think it's time that we hire a new member to our family."

"Really?!"

I was happy and breathed a sigh of relief when I heard his announcement. With the addition of a new producer, maybe Ritsuko-san and I can cut some slack.

"It will take some time to find a talented and passionate producer. So, for the time being, I don't want anyone to know this for a while. You're the only one who knows this, so I want you to keep this a secret. Do you understand?"

"I understand!"

After that conversation, I excused myself and went back to work. As I continued my work, I couldn't help but continue smiling. Maybe it's because I'm excited for the new producer to arrive.

_Oh yeah, since the concert is held at Kyoto, maybe I should tell him to come to the concert…_

"Producer-san, why are you smiling?"

Otonashi-san asked that while she brought me some documents for me to look.

"O-Oh, it's nothing. We're going to hold a concert in Kyoto."

"That's big news! I'll go tell the others."

As Otonashi-san went to call the other idols, I looked at my watch and panicked when I saw the time.

"Oh no, I'm supposed to pick up Haruka from her audition a few seconds ago!"

I quickly took my belongings and left the office hurriedly.

Yes, life is hard at 765 Productions…

* * *

Yuuki's POV

My name is Tatsuki Yuuki, I'm a male and 17 years old at the moment. I'm attending a high school named Kougami High and I live in Kyoto.

It was one day before summer break starts. I was waiting for this day to arrive. As I sat on my seat, watching the outside view of the classroom while thinking of a plan on what to do during my summer break, my friend, Sohma Takeru, appeared in front of me and slammed my desk, which surprised me, and asked,

"Hey, Yu-kun! Do you have any plans for next week?"

"No, I don't. Why do you ask?"

Takeru, or Ta-kun as I called him normally, was a guy who was full of energy and always cheerful. He was taller than any of the boys in our class. He had black and messy hair and a face that was considered handsome by the other girls. He was thus called 'The Prince of Kougami High' by most of the girls, which he didn't really care about it much.

I had white and short hair, which was unusual for most of the students. However, my face and body can be said to be a girl's. Because of that, sometimes even I get love letters, mostly from guys. I'm one head shorter than Ta-kun, who can be considered very tall. I tried many methods to make sure that I grow like a proper man, but none of those methods work, much to my dismay. I inherited my face from my mother, while I inherited my white hair from my father.

Back to the topic, I like having Ta-kun by my side, but there was one thing I hate about him.

"Actually, do you want to come to the 765 Pro concert held here-"

"Rejected."

He was an idol fanatic. Lately he has been supporting an idol company named 765 Productions and its idols. The reason I hate that part about him was because I hate music and dancing.

"Come on! Who wouldn't want to go to their concerts? They're amazing, especially Hoshii Miki!"

"Don't you remember? I don't like music and dancing. That means I have no interest in idols."

"Come on, just join me! Maybe you'll change your mind by then!"

As Ta-kun continued pleading me to go with him, a girl with black and long hair walked into the classroom and called out my name. She had a fierce aura around her, which can almost intimidate any student. When she entered the classroom, everyone went quiet and made way for her. It was like peasants making way for a king.

She was my childhood friend, Masaki Kuromi. She was the Student Council president at her 2nd year of high school. Her strict rules and brutal punishments earned her the nickname of 'The Demon of Kougami High'. But I knew that her real personality wasn't like that. I still remembered it like yesterday when she was a shy and cowardly girl…

"Yuuki, I will be attending a meeting with the rest of the Student Council members, so go home without me."

"Okay, Kuromi."

After that, she shot an icy cold glare at Ta-kun before leaving. After the tense aura surrounding the classroom was lifted, everyone continued as usual.

"Wow, Kaichou-san really gives a really fierce aura, like a wild dog ready to attack…"

"Careful, remember the last time you said something bad about her?"

When I mentioned that, Ta-kun shook in fear and muttered,

"Yeah, she dragged me to the Student Council room and gave me a brutal punishment…"

As I prepared to head home, Ta-kun suddenly grabbed me and ran out of the classroom like a crazy person.

"If you don't want to come to the concert, I'll make sure you'll reconsider!"

He yelled as he ran towards the school exit.

"You idiot! Do you want Kuromi to give us both punishments?!"

I yelled back to him while trying to break his hold, but it was too tight and I have no choice but to follow him.

"Relax; she's going to a meeting! She won't be able to notice us!"

I seriously doubted that. The last time I did something bad behind her back, she punished me to a week of cleaning the school yard, even though it wasn't school related.

I just hope that everything turns out okay…

* * *

Producer's POV

I arrived at Kyoto first to check out the preparations for the concert. But before that, I excused myself from the staff and went to a house that my distant relative was living. He was one of the reasons why I became a producer. He was dressed up like a girl when I lived there, but his passion for singing and dancing made me realize that I want to make sure that young girls and boys like him can become idols.

As I arrived at a two storey high house with white colored walls, red roof tiles, and a yard that was full of lush plants, I rang the doorbell, waiting for someone to greet me. After a while, a high-pitched voice was heard from the door.

"Yes, I'm coming~"

When the door opened, I saw a woman who had blond and long hair tied to a ponytail and a face which can be considering young and pretty for her age. She sported a simple white dress with a frilly apron with flowery designs on top. That woman was my distant relative's mother, Hinata Rika. While I lived here, she always took care of me and Yuuki. I was indebted to her during that time. When she saw my face, she smiled happily and said,

"If it isn't our Producer-kun! It has been years since you moved to Tokyo. Why don't you come in?"

I humbly accepted her invitation and came in. As I entered the house, I could see that the living room was well-decorated. Dolls and a picture frame of the family were neatly arranged on top of the fireplace. There were vases filled with colorful flowers at the corners of the room. Not only that, the living room was also clean, with not a speck of dust seen, unlike the office. I sat down on a sofa while Yuuki's mother went to prepare tea and snacks. After serving them to me, she sat on the opposite sofa and asked about my condition.

"So, how was life in Tokyo?"

As I drank my tea, I took a cookie and said,

"I'm doing fine. I recently found work at 765 Productions and I've been really busy lately."

When I mentioned 765 Pro, Yuuki's mother expression seemed to slightly change. I was curious at first, but decided not to say anything about it.

"By the way, how is Yuuki's condition right now?"

As I asked about that topic, her expression changed from a smile to a sad frown.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you about that…"

* * *

Yuuki's POV

After a few minutes of running from school, we finally arrived at the stadium which was set to be the concert for the 765 Productions. A large poster can be seen on the top of the stadium, showing 13 girls who I don't even know or care.

"So, what do you think?"

Ta-kun said as he showed me the poster. I was confused and asked him,

"What, exactly?"

"The idols, of course! "

I then focused my attention on the idols, and frankly I didn't feel anything. I turned back to Ta-kun and told him,

"Uh, nothing."

As Ta-kun heard my reply, his jaw dropped. A few seconds later, he regained his composure and pointed at the poster while yelling,

"How can you be so calm about it?! A lot of the guys in class seen this and said that they will definitely go!"

Ta-kun then handed me a ticket. It was for the concert. Everything was listed inside, from the date to the time of the concert. It was dated tomorrow, the day school break starts.

"There, I'll reignite your passion for idols. Just you wait and see!"

He gave me a thumbs up and went home. As I stared at the ticket, I wondered what to do about it.

_Should I give this to Kuromi? Or maybe mom..._

I didn't want to go to the concert in the first place. I had turned my back on the things that I loved in the past, only because of one horrible memory…

When I was a kid, my parents were extremely fond of me and my mother liked to dress me up as a girl. I didn't mind either, as I was young at that time. Looking at the idols singing and dancing on television also made me more determined to become an idol in the future. As the years passed by, I continued dressing up as a girl and always sang and danced every day. Everyone didn't care about my gender and made friends with me. It was that time that I made friends with Kuromi, who was still shy at that time. Everything went well, until one day…

When I was 12 years old, Kuromi was bullied by a few students from middle school. As I came in to help her, a boy wearing glasses and had brown messy hair laughed at my appearance and found out that I was a guy. I didn't care and quickly called the teachers, prompting them to flee. I thought that they won't come back again, but I was wrong.

At the school festival, our class was scheduled to stage a dancing and singing performance. I signed up, nonetheless, with a few girls from my class. When the performance started, we were doing perfectly fine. Everyone was cheering for us, until; a laughing sound was heard in the crowd. As I looked further, I saw that the middle school students were there. They disrupted the performance and were chased out of the school by the school guards, but not before adding the insult that fueled my hatred for music. The boy who laughed at me at that time yelled loudly and disclosed the truth that I was a boy, yelling to the crowd that a boy like me was weird. The crowd then turned to look at me with eyes saying that I was a weird kid. After the performance, everyone in class comforted me and told me that it's okay. However, I couldn't take the pressure of being weird anymore and gave up on everything that was related to being an idol. I began to dress up like a normal boy and had been continuing my life without music and dancing ever since. Kuromi has also changed a lot during the incident, becoming the ice queen that everyone feared, promising me that she will protect me from now on from guys like them.

When I arrived home, I can see that my mother was going to leave for work. For many years I didn't know what my mother worked as, but the money she earned kept the family running. Because of that, I didn't want to know any more about her job.

"I'm back."

"Oh, welcome home, Yuuki."

After that unforgettable incident, I blamed my mother for developing my hobby of cross-dressing when I was a kid. Because of that, the relationship between me and my mother went downhill. My father worked overseas and left us while I was nine, but he would always send us letters and gifts telling us that he was doing fine. My mother told me that he worked as a businessman and was now working in the US.

The incident was never told to anyone who lived outside of Kyoto, including my father. That was because I didn't want to relive that painful past ever again. People also had forgotten all about that, so I wanted it to stay forgotten.

As I was going to go upstairs to my room for some peace and quiet, my mother called me down. Wondering what was going on, I heeded and went back to the living room. Mom then handed me a package. As I wondered who the sender was, she said,

"Guess who visited us today? It was your distant relative who moved to Tokyo!"

"Really?! Nii-san came to visit?"

As he mentioned nii-san, I was so happy that I immediately got up from my seat. It was years since he moved to Tokyo to further his studies. However, I didn't know about his whereabouts since he left.

"He left you this package and a letter as well."

As I received the package and letter, I thanked my mother for the first time since that incident. As she heard my thanks, she smiled to me. That smile was brighter than her normal one which I always see.

After that, I went to my room, eager to open the package and read the letter…

* * *

Producer's POV

The preparations for the concert are going smoothly. I hope that the concert tomorrow will be a huge success. However, I can't shake the feeling that I had when I heard the truth about Yuuki back at his house…

_Flashback_

"What?! Yuuki quitted singing and dancing? What happened to him?"

I was surprised when I heard his mother said that she quitted the things that he loved most. I thought that there was no way that he would give up that easily…

"Maybe I shouldn't have dressed him like a girl in the past…"

I heard everything from her, including the past that he had tried to keep away from everyone. As I slowly thought about what to do, his mother suggested a plan for me.

"Can your agency take him in? Tomorrow's the day summer break starts. I was hoping that he would return to the things that he loves…"

It was a very good idea. Maybe staying in an environment full of singing and dancing could get him back up. I didn't hesitate about it and immediately said yes. She heard my answer and thanked me. By the way, I still haven't given her the package yet…

"Here, I wanted him to go to the concert my agency is holding."

I gave her the package that included a black t-shirt with the label '765 Pro' on it. It also contained a backstage pass that gave him exclusive rights to watch it in the front row.

"Why don't you go too? I have another spare backstage pass so…"

As I tried to invite her to the concert, she waved her hands and said,

"Sorry, I have work. Don't worry; I'll watch it from the television at my working place."

Before I left for the stadium, I asked her for a little help.

"By the way, do you have a pen and paper?"

"What is it for?"

"Something that I hope will get him to go to the concert…"

_Flashback end_

_I wonder if he will come to the concert…_

"Producer-san, can you check if the lights are positioned perfectly?"

"Yes, coming!"

* * *

_Yuuki's POV_

As I finished showering and switched to my casual wear, which was a white t-shirt with blue jeans, I sat on my bed and tried to open the package.

My bedroom can't be considered normal for a man… Since I had inherited my mother's love for cute things, I liked to keep animal dolls and always kept them a secret from my friends, Ta-kun and Kuromi. If Ta-kun found out about this, he would definitely laugh at me and spread the news. Kuromi won't say anything, but I can't keep any promise that she wouldn't tell anyone about this. Because of my liking for the dolls, I always place them neatly a every corner of my room. Except for the dolls, there was a computer, mostly for gaming, a bookshelf full of books that involve cooking, and my bed. If you're wondering why I had cookbooks, my mother is a terrible cook. Before dad left us, he was the one in charge. After she took the job, she messed the whole thing up and we had to order takeaway. I can still remember the awful taste of her omelet rice…

_Ah, it's open!_

As I opened the package, I saw something that really made me unhappy. There was a shirt with the label of the agency Ta-kun mentioned. Not only that, there was also a backstage pass to the concert. My mind was blank, why would he send me such things? As I wanted the truth from him, I almost completely forgot about the letter. I opened the envelope and slowly read its contents…

**_Dear Yuuki,_**

**_It's been a few years since we heard of each other right?_**

**_Sorry for not reaching out to you while I'm at Tokyo._**

**_Truth is, I heard the past from your mother._**

**_I felt really sad when I heard you quitted everything._**

**_In this package is a way to get into the concert._**

**_I'm now the producer at 765 Pro._**

**_I wanted you to know that everyone has to move on and forget the past._**

**_After the concert, I have something to tell you._**

**_I hope you'll be there._**

I wanted to tear up the letter after I finished reading, but I couldn't bear myself to do it. I didn't know why, but I just can't.

I really wanted to continue singing and dancing, but the thought of the past repeating itself kept me away from it.

It looks like there's no way I'm not going to the concert. I adjusted my feelings and thought to myself.

_There's no way I'm backing down. All the answers will come to light on this concert!_

* * *

_**Author Notes**__: Ah, my first take on a fanfic for IDOLMASTER. I really hope the story can go on as smoothly as possible. If there are any mistakes, please don't hesitate to tell me, thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

I forgot to add this on the first chapter. I don't own Idolmaster.

* * *

Yuuki's POV

Another brand new day began. However, it wasn't just another normal day. It was the day that the concert nii-san and his idol agency organized was held, the day that I would know whether to continue my love for singing and dancing.

As I prepared for the last day of school before summer break, I did all of my daily routine. A quick cleanup of the house, preparing the breakfast and reading the daily newspaper while eating it. As for my mother, she was sound asleep in her room…

My mother would always come home late after work. It was just a habit, I guess. As I placed her breakfast on the table, with a note telling her to microwave it before eating, I set off for school.

On my way to school, I stopped by Kuromi's house. It wasn't that far from mine, so we would always walk together. When I arrived on a green house with a brown roof, she was there, waiting for me.

"You're here, shall we set off?"

When she was alone with me, she'll open up her feelings. She had changed since the incident, not afraid of anything anymore but she was still shy and couldn't make proper contact with people that she didn't know. The reason she was always cold to everyone at school was because she wanted to protect me from any harm. Not only that, she was shy and didn't try to make new friends.

Halfway to school, I stopped our walk and said,

"Kuromi, I have something to give you."

I handed her the ticket that Ta-kun gave me. Because I had the backstage pass, I didn't need it. I couldn't let it go to waste, so I decided to give it to her. As she received the ticket, I jokingly said,

"Now you have a date with Ta-kun."

When she heard my joke, she immediately shot a glare at me.

"Looks like you really want a punishment from me. Do you, Yuuki?"

I quickly waved my hands and replied with an apologetic face,

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

She then returned back to normal and looked at the ticket.

"I can see that you still don't want to go to any concerts…"

"You're wrong. It just so happens I have a backstage pass with me."

I showed her the backstage pass that I received from nii-san. After she took it from me and examined it carefully, she gave it back to me and asked,

"How did you get a backstage pass?"

"My distant relative is a producer from 765 Productions, the idol agency that is holding this concert."

"So, this means you're going to face your past?"

As she asked me that question, I frowned and said,

"Maybe this is the only way I'll ever get rid of this nightmare…"

After a brief silence surrounded us, we continued making our way to school. A few minutes later, we arrived at the gate. Before we walked inside, Kuromi separated herself from me.

"Well then, I'll be going to my class. See you after school, Yuuki."

When she enters the school, she turns into the cold and fierce Student Council President that everyone feared. Everyone who saw her walking in would wonder: Who will be her first target? The most likely suspect was already floating around in my mind…

"Hi, Yu-kun! All hyped up for the concert-"

As Ta-kun approached me, I could see that Kuromi was closing in on us. An aura of a tiger ready to attack was flowing out from her body. My body shivered as I saw this.

"Sohma Takeru, I heard that you ran in the hallway again yesterday…"

When Ta-kun saw Kuromi ready to attack, his face became pale. Not wanting to suffer any of her punishments, he immediately ran away into the school building. However, he was still caught by Kuromi, who was said by everyone to have the best athletic ability in school.

"Time to correct your mistakes, Takeru-kun…"

"Save me, Yu-kun! Anybody, just anybody, save me!"

I could hear Ta-kun's loud cry as he was slowly being dragged away by Kuromi. Everyone just stood there and watch, not wanting to share the punishment. I would feel pity at him and try to help him, but that wasn't the first time he was dragged in. I also experienced a few punishments myself, and I never want to get involved in one. As Kuromi's friend, I could only stand there and watch like the rest.

As I opened my shoe locker, dozens of mail were seen inside, with my shoes unseen. I sighed and groaned at this sight. It looks like they were doing a desperate move to ask me out before summer break starts. Didn't I tell them I was a guy? I immediately cleared my locker of the useless mail and threw them into the dustbin, without checking the contents. Besides, everything that they wrote was the same anyways.

After I entered my class and waited for home-room to start, Ta-kun came back into the classroom, with an appearance that looked like he came back from a war. His clothes were ragged and he showed a depressing and terrified face.

"How was it?"

As I asked him what happened, he still shook in fear and muttered,

"I don't know… I don't know…"

Looks like Kuromi dished out a very hard punishment on him…

The teacher then came in and homeroom started. The class was as normal as always. Everyone was paying attention in class, except for Ta-kun who was still traumatized. I looked out the window while leaning my head on my hand, staring at the blue and clear sky.

_I wish that today would rain… _

It looks like a part of me still didn't want to go to the concert. I was scared that I would remember all of those crowds' faces during the festival. What if something like the time during the festival happened to the idols?

_No, I can't think like that. Remember, the past is behind me._

I cleared the thoughts that clouded my judgment. I already decided that I would go. Thinking about useless stuff like that is going to set me off from my decision. Not wanting to think anymore, I immediately paid attention on the lesson.

Few hours later, the bell rung and everyone cheered loudly. School break was finally here. A lot of girls and guys chatted with their friends to make plans during the break. Of course, even I was not left out. Ta-kun immediately came over my desk, regaining to his normal self, and happily yelled,

"Yeah, school break is finally here! By the way, Yu-kun, are you hyped up for the concert?"

Not wanting to tell the truth that I got a backstage pass, and trying to play a joke on him, I replied with a smile,

"I already gave my ticket to Kuromi."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

After hearing that Kuromi was going to sit next to him, he immediately slumped to the floor, muttering,

"So that was what she said about taking care of her…"

He then stood up and shook my desk, and cried,

"Why did you pair me up with the demon?! You're not going with me?"

"Sorry, maybe next time."

Of course I lied. If I told him that I had a backstage pass, he'll definitely pester me to go together in order to meet the idols. I can't let that happen. As he was still thinking about what to do about the concert, I immediately went back home without him noticing.

After I arrived back home, I saw that my mother was trying to make dinner. I immediately gulped my saliva and panicked.

_This is bad. If she cooks, I don't know if I'll ever live…_

I quickly stopped my mother, who was going to heat up the pan with orange juice.

"T-that's okay, mom. I'll cook."

"Aren't you going to the concert? Don't worry; I've improved over the past few years."

_Yeah right, says the chef who used orange juice to heat up the pan…_

"T-then I'll order takeaway! I'll call the manager in the ramen shop and have him send us two bowls of ramen, okay?"

After looking back at the pan for a while, she nodded and put the pan down. I breathed a sigh of relief as I avoided another confrontation with death. Looking at the clock, I had four hours left before the concert starts…

* * *

Producer's POV

Four hours before the concert starts. I was feeling nervous and woke up a bit too early, fearing that the concert wouldn't go well. But, judging by the weather and a few of the fortune-telling magazines that Azusa-san brought me it was going to be a great day. The idols were coming in from school one by one and they were looking energetic and cheerful. While I left them to prepare, I was busy looking at the music set with the staff and Otonashi-san in order to make sure that the idols didn't have to sing two songs in a row. I had learned my lesson when Miki danced and sang two songs in a row during the first concert and almost collapsed. After a while, Shachou came in to check up on us.

"Today is a great day, isn't it, Producer-kun?"

"Yeah, I hope that everything goes according to plan."

"Well then, keep up the good work."

Before Shachou left us, I had to ask him about taking care of Yuuki during the concert.

"Shachou, can I ask a request from you?"

Not curious of what I was going to ask next, he laughed and said,

"Ask anything!"

"I want Shachou to take care of someone while he is here."

"I see… Very well then. I'll take care of him, so don't worry."

As Shachou left, I saw Makoto running here in a hurry. She looked panicked when she approached me. When I asked her, she told me the worst news that could happen before a concert…

"Producer, bad news, Azusa-san is missing!"

"What?!"

_Not again…_

"Everyone played rock paper scissors to decide who gets to buy the drinks, Azusa-san lost and went to buy them!"

_This is bad, Azusa-san gets lost very easily. If I don't find her quickly, the concert won't be able to start! _

"Makoto, I'll find Azusa-san. Go back and rehearse with the others!"

"Okay!"

As Makoto went back to the other idols, I told Otonashi-san to help the staff for a while and ran outside the stadium to look for Azusa-san…

* * *

Yuuki's POV

Three hours left. I just got off from the train and was on my way to the stadium. But first, I went to the bathroom to take care of a little business. As I washed my hands, I looked at the reflection of myself in the mirror, which showed my appearance. I was wearing the shirt that nii-san gave me but I wore a brown jacket on top of it, as to not become the center of attention. I also wore blue jeans paired with red sports shoes.

_No matter how I look at it, I still look like a girl…_

Even though I tried to wear many things to show my manly side, I just see a girl wearing a man's clothes on the other side of the mirror. Was this a curse? I just hope that this 'curse' is not passed on to my children…

As I walked closer to the stadium, I saw a rare sight…

A woman with purple and short hair was standing in front of a fountain. She had a great figure that would be the focus of many men. She was looking back and forth, looking as if she wanted to ask directions. The only thing that made her stand out was...

_Is she wearing a tracksuit? Why would anyone wear a tracksuit in the evening? No one would go jogging in the evening! Her getup makes her stick out like a sore thumb!_

There was nobody nearby, so I thought,

_Should I help her?_

I hesitated for while, but it looked like it wasn't necessary. She approached me and asked,

"Excuse me; Do you know which way is it to the stadium?"

I was speechless. With the directions printed on a signpost just behind me and the building can be seen not far away, I could say that nobody would get lost that easily…

I couldn't leave her behind. Since she was going to the same place as me, I should help her out. Besides, she looked a bit familiar…

"Okay, I'll show you the way."

"Thank you."

She then clasped her hands and made a bright smile. I couldn't help but blush at the sight. Afterwards we ended up walking together to the stadium.

I could see the poster as we approached the stadium, but there was one thing that I couldn't help but look at it again…

_This woman looks so familiar… _

As I looked once more at the poster, my jaw dropped.

My hunch was right; she was on the poster with the other idols.

I looked back at her with a surprised face and asked,

"Excuse me, but are you…"

The woman then smiled and said,

"My name is Miura Azusa. I'm an idol from 765 Pro. Nice to meet you."

I couldn't help but slap myself in the face…

* * *

_**Authors Note**_: Another chapter. Actually, I'm going to national service in January, so the story will be on hold until March (or if I have the energy to write on Chinese New Year.) However, there will be one more chapter before it goes on hold. Anyway, any mistakes on the story, please tell me. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Yuuki's POV

I couldn't believe my eyes.

An idol was standing right beside me, the ones that I saw on television. However, it wasn't the most appropriate place for a first meeting…

"Let me get this straight. You're an idol, right?"

I asked the young woman, who addressed herself as Miura Azusa, an idol from the idol agency that nii-san worked at.

"Yes, that's true."

Miura-san replied with a smile on her face. I didn't know why, but she looked a little like my mother. My mother always smiled in her conversations, and she was doing almost the same thing.

Back to topic, I wanted to ask the reason why she was wearing a tracksuit in the middle of the street…

"Could I ask you a question?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you wearing a tracksuit? Also, how did you lose your way in the middle of the street?"

What she said next made my jaw drop.

"We were rehearsing for the concert. I lost in rock paper scissors and had to buy drinks as punishment, but I think that I walked a bit too far...I don't have a good sense of direction, but Producer-san and Makoto-chan will always find me."

_For a young woman who had such great looks, she's quite an airhead…_

We were close to the stadium. I can see that the crowd was waiting to enter. However, I was surprised when I saw two familiar figures waiting with the crowd…

"Quick, hide!"

I quickly took Miura-san's hand and hid behind a nearby tree.

"What's wrong?"

Miura-san asked me, but I didn't bother to answer back as I focused my attention on the two figures.

_It's Ta-kun and Kuromi. I can't let them see me, especially Ta-kun!_

"Oh my, is that your boyfriend?"

"Eh?!"

She dropped a large bombshell on me… I couldn't believe that she would say that Ta-kun is my boyfriend. Sure I like him, but I was definitely not swinging the wrong way! I'm a boy, and I am not interested in other boys!

I was going to scold her for saying that, but I should know that my body made me look like a girl.

_There's no point in getting mad at her. I should tell her my true gender before she gets the whole thing wrong again…_

I held back my anger and told her with a clear voice so that she could hear the whole thing properly.

"Actually, I'm a male."

"Really? But you're wearing girls' clothes…"

Another bombshell dropped, and that remark really pissed me off…

_Save it, Yuuki. Remember, getting angry isn't going to solve anything…_

I forced a smile as I tried to control my anger, telling her,

"Yes, I'm a guy. I may look like a girl but I'm actually a guy."

"Okay then…"

She supported her chin with a thumb and forefinger, signaling that she still didn't get it.

_I should quickly send her into the stadium before I get another bombshell aimed at me…_

I finally left the two alone for them to enjoy their time together while I sent Miura-san to the stadium.

* * *

Kuromi's POV

It was my first time going to a concert, but I couldn't believe that I had to go with the troublemaker in school…

_Why can't I just go with Yuuki? It's the first time he's decided to come see a concert…_

As I looked beside me, the troublemaker was happily waiting in line to enter the stadium.

"I can't believe that I'm going to see a 765 Pro concert! This is the happiest day in my life!"

I couldn't believe this. His behavior was creeping me out.

I can act normally in front of Yuuki, but I still couldn't get used to being with other people, except for people that I had met for a long time, like Yuuki's mother.

As for Sohma Takeru, I couldn't get along with him even if I tried. We were two entirely different persons. The only thing keeping us close was Yuuki, and he was not here.

"Hey Kaichou, are you excited for this concert as much as I am?"

He asked me that question out in the blue. I wasn't sure what to answer. A lot of things were on my mind that time. So, my mouth just blurted out whatever was on my mind.

"Be quiet."

"Okay…"

He then went silent and continued waiting in line.

_Looks like I blew up a chance to get closer to him…_

I couldn't help but sigh at my stupidity.

After a while, someone tapped my shoulder. I was surprised and turned around to see a young man who had black hair. He was wearing glasses and sported a black business suit with a blue tie and black shoes. He was sweating like bullets and was out of breath. I didn't know why, but I felt that I could be myself in front of him.

"Excuse me, but have you seen a young woman with short and purple hair?"

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen anyone who fits your description. I'm very sorry."

The young man then waved his hands and said,

"No, it was my fault. Sorry for bothering you. Thanks!"

After he said that, he quickly ran off somewhere, shouting,

"Azusa-san! Azusa-san, where are you?"

Takeru-kun then immediately gasped.

"Miura Azusa is missing? This is bad! I gotta go find her!"

It looked like he was going to find her too, but I couldn't let him cause trouble again. I quickly grabbed his hand before he could run away and glared,

"If you do something stupid, I'll punish you, even if it isn't school related."

"Okay, okay! I'll just wait here! Just don't punish me!"

As expected, he heeded my words and just waited for the doors to open. But I couldn't trust him and continued holding his hand while we waited for the doors to open so that we could go in.

_Yuuki, I just hope you aren't getting into any trouble…_

* * *

Yuuki's POV

Finally, after minutes of hiding from fans and hearing hurtful remarks from Miura-san, we finally arrived at the back entrance of the stadium.

"We finally made it."

Miura-san smiled happily when she found her way back to stadium. I breathed a sigh of relief as I got to be free from those hurtful comments…

"There you are, Azusa-san!"

A woman with brown hair tied up and wearing glasses was waiting at the entrance. She was wearing a black business suit with court shoes. She didn't wear a necktie, just a moss green shirt with a little knot on her collar. She looked relieved when she saw Miura-san and walked towards us.

"Ah, Ritsuko-chan. I'm back."

"Didn't I tell you not to go anywhere? You know that you get lost easily! Today is an important day!"

"Sorry, Ritsuko-chan…"

"Wait till I find the culprit who started this punishment game…"

I continued looking on, baffled at the fact that they didn't see me and were in their own space. It didn't take long for them to notice me though. The woman with the glasses saw me standing there and approached me.

"So you're the one who found Azusa-san. Thank you very much for your help. My name is Akizuki Ritsuko. I'm the producer for 'Ryuugu Komachi', nice to meet you."

"Not a problem…"

_Yeah right, there were a lot of problems for me…_

"That's right; I got to call Producer-dono. He's still searching for you, Azusa-san."

Akizuki-san then took out her cell phone and made a call.

_I'm so glad that this is over…_

Wait a minute; by Producer-dono did she mean nii-san?

"Can I ask you something?"

But it looked like she didn't hear me as she was busy with the phone call.

"Ah, Producer-dono? It's me, Ritsuko. We've found Azusa-san."

I couldn't hear who the other end of the phone was, but I was sure it was nii-san.

"You'll be back in a few minutes? Okay, bye."

She then hung up her cell phone and continued,

"So, what's your name?"

"Tatsuki Yuuki, nice to meet you too."

After I said my name, Akizuki-san snapped her fingers and said,

"Oh, so you're the boy that Producer-dono mentioned! You look like a girl, though…"

_Not again…_

"Ritsuko-san, who is this person?"

"Let me introduce him. This is Tatsuki Yuuki. He's Producer-dono's distant relative who is living here."

"Oh my, nice to meet you."

"There is an hour left before the concert, so go and look around for a while, okay?"

Miura-san then went into the stadium with Akizuki-san to prepare for the concert. Since I had nothing else to do either…

_I may as well go inside and have a peek…_

* * *

Kuromi's POV

"Everyone can enter the stadium now! Please show your tickets before entering!"

After the announcement was made from the speaker, the doors opened and the audience went inside one-by-one.

"It's time!"

After Takumi-kun and I went inside, we first stopped by a shop that was selling merchandise related to the idols. Takumi-kun bought one of everything that went on sale. As for me, I just bought a book that contained information about the idols.

_That guy said something about finding someone named Miura Azusa…_

I flipped the pages until I saw her name. She was a young woman who had short and purple hair. Her figure shown would also attract a lot of males. Now I knew why he wanted to go here so badly…

I then read out the information listed inside.

"Miura Azusa. 21 years old. Member of trio unit 'Ryuugu Komachi'…"

"Ah, Kaichou! So you like Miura Azusa, am I right?"

He heard my ramblings and talked to me.

"I-I was just interested on who the man was looking for."

"Oh, I see… Well then, if I have to pick one, it'll definitely be Hoshii Miki!"

After I heard him saying about his favorite idol, I then flipped the pages to find a young girl who had blonde and long hair with green eyes. As expected, she also had a great figure. Do the males here only come here for their attractive figures?

"Hoshii Miki. 15 years old. Solo."

"So what do you think of her, Kaichou?"

"No comment."

"Eh? You're no fun at all, Kaichou…"

"Another punishment, is it?"

"N-No thanks!"

After a few minutes of awkward silence, we found our seats. It was at the back row, so it means that we would be far away from the idols. However, there was a large TV screen on top of the stage, so that the people sitting in the back row could see them closely.

Now we just had to wait until the concert starts…

* * *

Yuuki's POV

I was talking a walk around the stadium, since the concert hadn't even started yet. It was big and spacious, and it was the first time walking around a stadium. Props were scattered all around the hallways and staffs were walking here and there to prepare for the concert. I felt like I was a stranger in a foreign land.

_Maybe I should make my way to the seats…_

As I was about to go to the stage, I heard a distressed shout from a girl. It sounded like someone who was from Okinawa.

"Hamzou, where are you?"

A girl with tanned skin then saw me and approached me. She had black hair tied to a wild ponytail. I also saw her from the poster a while ago. It would assume that she was an idol, too.

"Hey, have you seen a hamster around here?"

_Hamster? Aren't pets banned from stadiums?_

"Sorry, no. How about I help you?"

"You would? Thanks! Name's Ganaha Hibiki, by the way."

Moment later, I saw a little brown figure running around the hallways. I was dumbfounded by the fact for a while before I yelled,

"It ran that way!"

Both of us later chased after it until we managed to corner it into a dead end.

"Hamzou, I'm sorry for eating your food again. C'mon back here, okay?"

Ganaha-san tried to approach the hamster, telling it to return to its master's side. However, the little rodent refused to listen and ran into my jeans.

"Hey, where is it going- Hahaha, it tickles!"

The hamster was running around my body. I couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably due to the sensation it was causing.

"Hold still. I'll grab him!"

"Wait, no-"

Ganaha-san tried to reach inside my shirt to catch the little rodent, but I quickly stopped her.

"No, stop. I'll handle this."

As I tried to refrain myself from laughing, I reached inside my shirt and managed to grab the hamster out of my clothes.

"Here, don't lose it again. Got it?"

When I handed the hamster to Ganaha-san, she smiled and said,

"Thanks! By the way, aren't the both of us girls? I could've done it faster."

_Another one… Nah, I don't care anymore…_

"I don't like to be touched by anyone."

I couldn't help but lie. It's getting annoying and frustrating telling everyone that I was a guy.

_I'll just let them know by themselves._

"That's it? Oh well, thanks!"

Ganaha-san then left with her pet. I looked at the time and saw that 45 minutes are remaining till the concert starts.

_Okay, time to get to my seat…_

"O-oh no, what should I do?"

_Another one calling for help…_

I walked along the hallway for a while only to find a girl who had brown and short hair standing there, about to burst into tears. She was holding a black scarf, which was torn apart.

"May I help you with something?"

I couldn't help but offer my assistance this time. After helping a few idols, I didn't care for anything that happened next.

"Makoto-chan's scarf was accidentally torn apart when I pulled it out from her bag… W-what should I do? I'm so useless; I'll just dig a hole to hide myself!"

She then took out a shovel out of nowhere. I would have been surprised by this magic trick, but since everything that has happened till now was out of normal standards, I wasn't fazed by it. I quickly grabbed a hold of her shovel and said,

"Don't worry, I'll fix it."

I grabbed the torn scarf and took out my portable sewing kit, which were a needle and a ball of thread. I had also developed some skill in sewing, because my mother was very good at sewing. As I was afraid that one day I'll need it, I learnt some basics from her at a very young age. Looks like it was the good time to use it…

As I stitched the scarf back to its original shape, another idol came in. I could have mistaken her as a guy, but judging by the poster I saw earlier, she was definitely a girl. She had black hair and her eyes have the same color. Even though she was a girl, I felt myself losing to her in terms of being a guy…

"What are you doing to Yukiho, you pervert!"

She quickly stood between me and the girl named Yukiho and made a defensive stance.

"Makoto-chan, what are you doing?"

"Protecting you from this guy!"

_Finally, someone who acknowledges me as a guy… Wait a second; this isn't the time to be happy!_

"Who are you calling a pervert?"

"You!"

"Listen, I'm just fixing this scarf. Here you go…"

When I tried to give back the scarf, the girl was hiding behind the boyish idol, refusing to budge an inch.

I tried to approach her, but I was almost punched in the face by the boyish idol, who threw a right jab at me. If I hadn't been severely punished by Kuromi several times, I wouldn't have anticipated it and get punched directly in the face. After dodging it, she readied another jab and warned,

"I won't miss the second time."

"Will you cut it out?! I'm just giving back the scarf!"

I showed her the scarf that was stitched back. She was surprised and asked,

"Why do you have my scarf?"

"Your friend here accidentally ripped it and I helped stitched it back."

I gave her back the scarf. After that, she turned her attention to the girl behind her.

"Is it true, Yukiho?"

"I'm sorry, Makoto-chan. I didn't mean to rip it…"

"Don't worry, Yukiho. I forgive you."

Both of them then turned back to face me. The boyish idol scratched her head and apologized.

"Sorry, looks like it was my misunderstanding. Thanks for fixing my scarf. I'm Kikuchi Makoto; the girl behind me is Hagiwara Yukiho. What's yours?"

"Tatsuki Yuuki. Actually, I'm pretty grateful to you."

"Huh? Why?"

"You're the only one who told me that I was a guy."

"Oh… So that's it. Don't worry, I kind of get what you feel when someone calls you the opposite gender…"

Kikuchi-san then sighed deeply when she said that. That's when I knew she was facing the same problem as me.

"Well then, we'll be preparing for the concert. Look forward to our performance!"

The two of them then waved their goodbyes at me and left. With no more distractions, I finally headed towards my seat. When I sat down, I noticed that there were two old men sitting between me. One of them had white hair which was partially covered by a beret and sported glasses. He could be in his mid 40's given his look. The other one, on the other hand was wearing a brown business suit. I couldn't see his face, maybe due to bad lighting, but I knew that he had black hair.

The old man wearing the business suit first started a conversation with me by asking,

"Good evening. Isn't the weather nice today?"

"Eh? Yeah, it is."

After that brief conversation, I couldn't help but feel a little tense with them sitting side-by-side. I was afraid to speak up about it, but he continued saying,

"Don't be nervous. It's just a concert. Is this your first time seeing a concert? Don't worry. Just let loose and have fun. "

I was surprised. How did he know that this was the first time seeing a concert?

"Surprised? Don't be. I've seen many people like this many times. My name is Takagi Junichirou. I'm the president of 765 Productions."

This time, I couldn't help but shout,

"Eh?!"

I was sitting with the president. The boss of the agency that nii-san worked for. Who wouldn't be surprised? I thought he was a strict person, but he's actually a kind and warm-hearted person.

"So you're Yuuki-kun?"

"Y-yes…"

"Hmm, you remind me of someone… Anyway, please look forward to the show."

After a while, the concert finally kicked off. The first three that went on stage were the ones that I had met earlier: Kikuchi-san, Hagiwara-san and Ganaha-san. Three of them were dressed in the same color of clothes, which was black and red, but each of them had different type of outfits. Ganaha-san was the first to speak up. She held a microphone and said,

"Hi everyone! You guys ready for the concert?!"

The audience then erupted with a loud 'yes'. Ganaha-san then smiled and said,

"Well then, let's start with the first song, 'Agent Yoru wo Yuku'!"

The stadium was then filled with thunderous applauses and loud cheers. Soon a song was played. The three stood in their positions. Kikuchi-san was at the left, Ganaha-san at the right and Hagiwara-san at the middle.

I was a bit surprised. Judging by Hagiwara's reaction when she knew that I was a guy, she freaked out and hid behind Kikuchi-san. Would she be able to perform when most of the crowd was men?

I asked the president about Hagiwara-san's problems, but he shrugged it off and laughed.

"Let me tell you one thing, Yuuki-kun. When someone enters the stage, they forget about everything and continue to sing and dance. Their weaknesses or past, those things are forgotten once you step inside."

I then looked towards the trio, especially Hagiwara-san. It was true. Hagiwara-san didn't look scared at all when she was performing. Not only that, she was singing and dancing very well. There was no shaking in her voice. In fact, she was singing confidently. It was like she forgot everything about being afraid of guys and performed for the sake of the audience. The other two weren't losing to her in terms of performance either. Their movements were so fluid and powerful that everyone in the audience would be entranced by it. The audience cheered loudly as the trio sang and danced to the music.

"**Raise me higher and higher, to the center of my being.  
Use that technique only you know to melt me completely.  
I'll collapse into whirling instincts, my heart throbbing.  
A dream just for tonight, let's dance fiercely!  
To my desire's content!  
Burn up fiercely!"**

When the singing stopped, they were greeted by more cheers from the audience. The girls smiled and waved their hands to the audience, thanking them for their support. As they went down the stage, another three appeared. I could see that Miura-san was one of them. One was a girl who was way younger than Miura-san. She had brown and long hair plus a single bang that curls around the side of her face. However, her forehead was exposed. The other was also younger. She had brown hair and the right side of her hair is tied up.

Miura-san was the first who spoke up.

"Good evening, everyone. Are you enjoying the concert?"

Again the audience erupted with a loud 'yes'.

"Before we continue with the concert, I would like to say thank you to the person who found me-"

Before she could continue, the idol with the right side of her hair tied up quickly interrupted her with a worried look on her face.

"Wait a minute, Azusa-oneechan! Ricchan told us not to say it!"

"Oh my, did she?"

I couldn't help but sigh at her slow mindedness. However, I also felt happy since there was someone who thanked me. I still couldn't believe she would do it on stage though…

"Anyway, here is our next song, 'Nanairo Button'!"

As the concert went on, I felt excited watching the concert with my very own eyes. I hadn't felt like this for a long time. It made me think back about going back to singing and dancing. But at the same time, it made me worried if I would face the same harsh reality 5 years ago…

"What's wrong, Yuuki-kun? Thinking about your own past?"

The president saw my depressed face and asked that. It was right on the mark. As expected from someone who managed a lot of idols years ago, he really knew what others were thinking…

While we were talking, the concert was reaching its climax. All 13 idols stood on stage, including Akizuki-san, which surprised me a bit, since she said that she was a producer. An idol with red hair and two ribbons tied on each side of it said,

"Everyone! Thank you for staying with us until the end. Before we end this concert, here is our last song for tonight, 'Jibun Restart'!"

Since it was the last song, the audience's cheers were the loudest that I had heard that night. While the song was playing, they were cheering to the rhythm of the song.

"Well, looks like I can write a good article."

The old man with glasses finally said after staying quiet for the whole concert.

"Sorry for bothering you, Yoshizawa-kun."

"No, I actually had a good time."

"Wait, you're a reporter?"

"Let me tell you this, kid. Don't judge anyone by their appearances. Someone whom you think is may be the other one around."

Thinking about what that reporter said, the president continued my conversation with me.

"So, Yuuki-kun. Did you have fun tonight?"

"Actually, I did. I haven't had this fun since I stopped singing and dancing."

"Then let me ask you something. What made you quit?"

"I was dressed as a girl back then. And that caused my hatred for it ever since…"

"Let me tell you something. It's something that a friend of mine in the past told me. Whenever something bad throws at you, just overcome it and keep moving forward."

"But what if I meet the same mistakes as that time?"

"As I've said, just keep moving forward. You like music and dancing, don't you? As long as you keep at it, nothing else stands between you."

As I thought about what the president said, the idols were still singing and dancing. I couldn't help but listen to it, as the lyrics mirrored what I felt when I stood on the stage 5 years ago…

"**When I stand on the sparkling stage, I can taste the greatest sensation.  
May this moment when everything is rewarded never end.  
If this is a dream, then don't let me wake up!**

**Like a bird flying through the skies, I want to spread and flap my wings.  
No matter how far it is, I'll go to the world I yearn for.  
I don't want to let it end as just a dream."**

Listening to it finally made my answer clear. I loved singing and dancing, and I couldn't give it up only because of a past that everyone has forgotten. No matter what, I had to keep moving forward.

"Looks like you've found your answer. Well then, how about joining 765 Pro?"

_This is it, my chance of a lifetime. If I don't seize it now, there won't be another chance!_

I finally mustered up all of my courage and said,

"Yes!"

As I said that, the audience made a thunderous applause. The concert was over. All of the idols stood in a straight line and bowed before leaving the stage.

"Shall we meet up with the others?"

I nodded and went backstage with the president. When we arrived, the idols were taking a break, with nii-san looking on. As soon as I saw him, I quickly ran to his side and yelled,

"Nii-san, we finally meet again!"

"Nice to see you, Yuuki-kun. I see that you enjoyed the concert."

All of the idols made a surprised face, except for Akizuki-san and Miura-san. The idol with the right side of hair tied up together with an idol who had the same face as her, but had her left side of her hair tied up into a longer ponytail, said,

"Onii-chan, looks like you finally have a girlfriend!"

Nii-san waved his hands and said,

"No, it's not like that… Yuuki-kun, why don't you introduce yourself?"

I bowed in front of the idols and made my introduction.

"Hi, everyone. My name is Tatsuki Yuuki. I'll be joining 765 Pro from today onwards. Please take good care of me! Oh, and before anyone makes a misunderstanding, I'm actually a male."

This time, everyone except for the ones who knew my real identity screamed in unison,

"Eh?!"

_My road to a professional idol begins here…_

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**__ Well then, this is it, the last chapter before it goes on hiatus. Hope that everyone enjoyed it. Sorry if my writing or grammar sucks and thanks for sticking with me till the end. Actually, the title is based on the song 'Jibun Restart'. If anyone knows its translated name, it is Restart Myself, hence the title of the story. I've hidden some plots of the story that will make some sense in the future inside this chapter. I'll be staying in this community for a while until National Service starts. So until then, see you guys next year!_


	4. Omake: Puchidols Arrive!

Since that fateful night of going to the concert that Nii-san's idol agency held, I ended up joining 765 Productions as one of their idols. When the concert ended, I met up with the idols backstage and introduced myself to them, though I got weird stares from them at first…

During the after party, I managed to get closer with the other idols, in order to know them better. There were some that were easy to get along with, while some were hard to approach. Nevertheless, I'm going to work together with them in the near future, so I hope that everything will work out in the end.

As the next day arrived, I did all of my daily routine and went to the agency, which was situated in Tokyo. I got the directions from Nii-san during the concert, so that I could go there without getting lost. As I approached a building with the number '765' printed on a window, I instantly knew that it was the place.

I entered the building and saw an elevator on my right, but it was out of order and I had to resort to using the stairs…

After a few minutes of climbing the stairs, I arrived at a door which had the words '765 Productions' etched on the window. I opened the door and found out that the place wasn't as fancy as I thought. When I first thought of the offices of many idol agencies, I would picture fancy and expensive furniture on every corner, posters of the idols and records hung on the walls, reflecting their success over the years. Instead, what I saw was cheap furniture and many boxes stacked in every corner of the office. It looked like nobody had cleaned this place up for a few weeks…

_Does anyone clean this place up..?_

However, something wasn't right.

I thought that there would be an idol, or at least a receptionist, to greet me, but there wasn't a living soul as far as I can see. All I saw was a cute little plush doll which had silver long hair sitting on a sofa. My eyes lighted up when I saw this. I couldn't help but think,

_This is so cute… Is this someone's doll? It makes me really want to take it home and put it beside the other dolls…_

I had a habit of keeping anything that I consider cute, including dolls. Whenever I see one just placing there on the other side on the shop window, I would just buy it on the spot. It may not be a manly thing for me, but I didn't care. A lot of guys might be like me, having hobbies that didn't suit their appearance or personality.

There was something I couldn't help but think again, but the doll looked awfully familiar. It had the same appearance like Takane-san, one of the idols from this agency. The only difference between them was that the doll looked a bit chubbier.

As I walked closer and tried to hold it, it suddenly reacted and threw a paper at me, like a ninja throwing a shuriken. I was lucky enough to dodge it, as the paper happened to make a dent on the walls…

I was dumbfounded. Can a doll move on its own? There was no way. Japan hasn't even been able to produce robots that can move as fast as that doll. I quickly hid myself to avoid another paper thrown at me, but the doll didn't move after that. It was just standing on the floor, not doing anything.

_Did I swear I just saw it move?_

As I leaned closer this time, it pulled out a paper and wrote something. After it finished writing, it turned the paper around for me to see. The paper wrote the words 'Takanya'. I was curious as to what it meant until I asked it,

"Is that your name?"

I thought that I wouldn't get a reply, but it nodded and wrote something again.

"Puchidol… What does that mean?"

After that, I saw another one like it coming towards me. The other doll this time resembled a little like Makoto, with its hair being shorter. However, its body was bigger than Takanya's…

"Another one? It looks cute too…"

As with any first action when I saw a cute thing, I tried to approach it and quickly hug it, but I was met with a terrible fate…

The chibi version of Makoto hit me with a Demon's Fist. I was sent flying into a stack of boxes which luckily broke my fall. However, that punch was really devastating…

"Ouch… That hurts…"

_The hell!? How did that Puchidol learn a move from Tekken!? Not only that, it used Heihachi's move! Isn't this a violation of the story!?_

As I struggled to get back on my feet, the two of them walked closer to me, with Takanya writing something again…

"Makochii huh… As expected, the Puchidols have some of the same names as their larger counterparts…"

This time, another one approached me. It looked like Iori, but its forehead was exposed, unlike Iori's which was partially hidden.

"Hmm. This one looks like Iori, so I guess your name's Io, huh?"

The little version of Iori happily nodded. However, her face suddenly changed into a fierce one and her forehead was lighting up, like it was charging for a beam…

"W-What's wrong?"

As I turned around, I could see a cockroach flying around. It looked like this was the reason Io made that face.

"Ki…"

_Wait a second, why is her forehead charging like a beam… Oh no!_

"Ki!"

As I quickly dodged to the right, a beam suddenly came out from her forehead. The beam was so strong that was enough for me to see the cockroach being decimated before my eyes…

Not only that, the wall was destroyed as a result from the beam…

_This is unreal… Am I dreaming?_

I quickly slapped myself in the face, hoping that I would wake up. But sadly, it didn't work, and I was feeling the pain from both the slap and the uppercut…

As I was rubbing my wounds, a Puchidol who looked like Hibiki appeared before me.

_Another one? What special ability does this one have…?_

I didn't want to find out. Judging by what the others did, I didn't want another beam, paper, or a fist to be aimed at me. I angrily shouted,

"Don't come near me!"

"Ku… Kwehhh!"

The Puchidol immediately cried when it heard me shout. Suddenly there was smoke in the office. After a while, I could hear a bear growling…

"Oh no…"

A brown, furry creature with four legs then emerged from the smoke. When I noticed that it was a bear, my jaw dropped.

"Rawr!"

The bear ferociously growled and looked intent on chasing me and killing me on the spot. I wasted no time in running away from it. However, it was impossible for me to outrun it, as it had two extra legs. I quickly shouted,

"Gwah! Help me!"

But it looked like nobody tried to help. Even Takanya and Makochii stood far away from me and just watched me from the sides. Not only that, Takanya even brought a tub of popcorn, as if she was watching a movie about a boy being chased by a man-eating bear.

_Is there no one who can help me?_

While I was being chased by the bear, the little Hibiki was still crying. Seeing her cry made me think of a plan that may work…

_Maybe the bear will go away if I cheered it up…_

"I'm sorry! I'll buy you sweets if you call the bear off, okay!?"

The little Hibiki then stopped crying and signaled the bear to go home. The bear heeded its words and did just that, while I was still running in circles, unaware that the bear had stopped chasing me. After I had stopped running, I limped to the sofa, exhausted, and took a seat…

_There's no mistake… I'm in a dream… But why can't I wake up…?_

After a few seconds, another one approached me with a cup of tea on its hands. It looked just like Yukiho, but I didn't bother on the details as I was still exhausted.

"Thanks…"

I gladly took it and quickly drank it all. However, my mouth then felt a burning sensation. It wasn't because of the hot tea, but because there was something spicy mixed inside the tea.

"My throat, it burns!"

I quickly looked around for water and saw two figures watching me from behind a door. They looked like the Futami twins but they have the same hair length, although their ponytails are tied in different directions. They high-fived each other for their success and ran for it.

"So you two are the culprits…"

I would have chased them, but my throat was still burning. I quickly searched for a glass of water and managed to find one. I was supposed to drink it up, but suddenly a Puchidol which resembled like Haruka showed up and begged me for a sip. I was hesitant at first, but I had no choice but to let her drink first. As I handed her the drink, however, she dumped the water all over her body and began to multiply.

_This is bad…_

As the mini Harukas began multiplying until the office was full of them, I immediately ran away with all of my energy, my stamina drained and my throat still burning from the spicy tea. I thought that they would lose track of me, but I was wrong, they were still chasing me. Not only that, one which was especially big was leading the charge.

_This is nuts… What is today? The day when little creatures show up with strange powers?_

As I ran with all of my might for a while, I happened to pass by a figure which looked like Azusa-san, but with longer hair. It didn't take long for me to think that,

_Azusa-san gets lost easily... Maybe there's a way I can lose these guys!_

I immediately grabbed her and continued running away. Thinking of a way to activate her powers, I tried many ways, including saying some magic words that I saw from a cheesy movie, but it didn't work. As I began to give up, the little Azusa-san put its hands together. Her movements finally made me realize that I needed to clap my hands. I did just that, and found myself transported to a deserted island, with the little Azusa-san on top of my head.

"Finally, I'm free from those creatures… But I'm now stuck on a deserted island…"

I laid down on the sand and shouted at the blue sky,

"Please, God, just make me wake up from this dream!"

As I closed my eyes and opened them again, I found myself inside my room, on my bed. I rose up and breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was a horrible nightmare… I just hope that this doesn't happen again…"

I didn't know why, but I had a feeling that I'm about to face that same nightmare again the next time I sleep…

* * *

_**Author's Notes: **__If you're wondering why this is up, it's because I didn't have anything to do. It's good for a while that I had the time to rest before National Service starts, but I just couldn't stop the urge to write… Plus, it's to commemorate the airing of the anime 'Puchimasu!' on January 1__st__.Yes, we get to see the idols in their chibi forms every weekday for three months, but I'm stuck in NS without any internet… By the way, this is considered an omake, but the Puchidols may show up again in Yuuki's future dreams…_


	5. Chapter 4

Yuuki's POV

After the concert organized by 765 Pro ended, I was led to the backstage by Takagi-san, or should I say Shachou from now on. There I finally met Nii-san and introduced myself to the rest of the idols, who were really surprised when I told them that I was a guy…

"So let me get this straight. You're a guy?"

The girl who stood together with Miura-san and one of the twins asked with a piercing glare while looking at me from top to bottom. She had changed her stage outfit to her casual wear, which made her look a little bit like a rich girl. She was also holding a bunny doll on her right arm. My eyes were so focused on the doll that it made me couldn't help but reach out my hand and try to touch it…

"Eek! What are you doing, you pervert?"

She jumped back with a surprised look as she saw my hand coming closer towards her. I was also surprised by her reaction, since I was looking at the doll. I looked around me and found out that a lot of the idols were surprised too. Not only that, I could see Kikuchi-san readying her fists. Not wanting to face the same experience again like last time, I quickly pulled out my hand and shouted,

"I-It's a misunderstanding! I'm just trying to touch the doll!"

After hearing that statement, Kikuchi-san pulled back her fists but made a wary face, signaling that she might attack if I did something disturbing. The rest of the idols regained their composure, with the rich-looking girl saying,

"Nobody touches Usa-chan but me. Plus, looking at what you just did, nobody would believe that you are a guy."

"What did you say!?"

Her words struck my heart like arrows piercing through it. I couldn't stand her attitude and wanted to slap her face for saying that, but I couldn't do that: Everyone was watching, plus I couldn't hit a girl.

For years I wanted someone other than the people I knew to call me a man for the first time. Even though Kikuchi-san was one of them and the first one to call me a man, I still wished that everyone would stop caring about my appearance and recognize me as a true man…

_It can't be helped, maybe I could become a true man by becoming an idol.._

"Now, now, Iori. Let's just get along, okay? Yuuki just joined us and we must treat him as one of the family, understand?"

Nii-san interrupted our conversation before a fight started and said that with a worried look on his face. The girl named Iori then flipped back her hair and said,

"Fine. Since Producer said so. I'll be nice, for now."

"Thank you, Iori…"

I felt bad for Nii-san to work at this agency. Who knew that he had to manage this many idols with different personalities in each of them? I respected him for not quitting his job that easily. If I were to take his job, I'll quit on the spot if I was told to manage this many idols…

"Since the concert was a huge success, how about we throw a welcome party to celebrate Yuuki-kun's arrival?"

The red haired girl with two ribbons on the sides of her head stepped forward and said that with a smile in hopes that everybody would forget that the whole thing never happened and calm down. Everyone heard her suggestion and shouted yes together.

"Well then, where should we go to? Does anyone have a good place to recommend in Kyoto?"

Once she said that, everyone quickly shouted out their suggestions. Their voices were so loud and mixed together that it was hard to hear one clear answer from it…

"Everyone, even though we just finished a concert and gathered a lot of funds, we can't spend it all in one piece. So, let's go somewhere cheap, okay?"

Nii-san tried to save some money by telling them to go eat someplace that was not expensive. However, it looked like nobody was listening. After a while, the twins were the first to have their answer heard.

"Yakiniku! We want yakiniku! Big, juicy and tender beef!"

After that, I could hear the others voicing their own opinions.

"Let's go to a family restaurant."

"How about some dessert?"

"How about going for sake?"

That last statement made by Miura-san really made me couldn't help but think,

_Miura-san, at least consider us when you suggest something. Sake? Come on! Almost all of us are minors!_

"Azusa-oneechan, we're too young to drink…"

I couldn't stand them suggesting places one by one. Plus, Nii-san's suggestion was ignored too. I shouted loudly to tell them to keep quiet. The backstage full of voices then suddenly went quiet. After that, I voiced my own suggestion.

"Do you guys want to eat some ramen? I know a good shop which sells some good ramen…"

"Ah, Ooriya Ramen Shop, right? I haven't seen Akita-ojisan since I left Kyoto…"

Ooriya Ramen Shop was a shop that sold Kyoto's best ramen, and it just so happens that me and Nii-san knew the manager. He took care of us for years, delivering ramen when my mother's cooking failed, which was every time…

After Nii-san left Kyoto and I knew how to cook, I had been eating his ramen less after that. But, we still ate it from time to time, and the taste never got old…

"Did I hear you say ramen?"

A woman with long, silver hair and a beautiful face that wouldn't lose to Miura-san interrupted our talk, her ears perked up when she heard the word 'ramen'. She then turned her attention to everyone else and said,

"It is decided. We are going for ramen."

Her voice sounded like a rich and dignified person. It sounded beautiful too, but there was a fierce tone inside those words, like she was forcing everyone to follow her or else…

After hearing her talk, the twins were not pleased at what she said. They made a depressed face and whined,

"Aww, Ohime-chin, we want to eat yakiniku…"

"It is final."

There was still a fierce tone inside her words, but they were less fierce than what she last said. The twins then gave up and mumbled,

"Okay…"

"It's decided then. We'll leave soon, so get ready, okay?"

After Nii-san finalized the decision, the idols shouted,

"Okay!"

Few minutes later, we were headed towards the ramen shop using different rides. Some of us went there using by Nii-san's car. Some went here using a taxi, while the others went there by Akizuki-san's car. I took a taxi together with Nii-san, the silver haired woman, Ganaha-san, and Ta-kun's favorite idol, Hoshii Miki. Inside the taxi, Nii-san was driving. The woman was staring at the night blue sky, Ganaha-san was playing with her pet hamster, while Hoshii-san was, I couldn't believe it, sleeping soundly…

I was just sitting there, minding my own business. I was still thinking if becoming an idol would be the best thing for me to return to music and dancing. Also, it would increase the burden on Nii-san's shoulders if I become one…

"Are you okay, Yuuki?"

Seeing me getting depressed from the mirror inside the taxi, Nii-san turned around to face me nad talked to me in hopes of cheering me up.

"It's nothing…"

I didn't want to tell Nii-san about my problems. I already joined 765 Pro and he had to take care of me. I didn't want to give him any more trouble than that…

"You know, before you decided to become an idol, your mother told me to help you regain you love for music and dancing. I also want to see you perform just like the past. I know I'll be even busier, but I'll never give up, no matter what. So cheer up, okay?"

Hearing his comforting words, I nodded happily and said,

"Yes, Nii-san."

"By the way, since you're joining 765 Pro, it's best if you treat all of us as a family. If you have any problems, don't hesitate to talk to anyone about it."

After he turned back and continue driving, the silver haired woman then said,

"Let me introduce myself. I am Shijou Takane."

"Tatsuki Yuuki. Nice to meet you. So Shijou-san-'

"Takane would be the most appropriate way to call me."

"Sorry. Takane, what made you become an idol?"

I expected a long story out of her answer, but she just put her finger on her mouth and said,

"It's a secret."

_I didn't expect that…_

"Well then, what would you accomplish by becoming one?'

"That is also a secret."

_Again…_

I wanted to ask another question, hoping to get one answer from her, but Ganaha-san interfered and said,

"Nah, it's no use talking to Takane. Everything about her is mysterious. She doesn't share anything about herself to anyone."

"I see…"

"By the way, call me Hibiki, okay? We're going to work together, so it's better when we call each other by our own names!"

"Okay, call me Yuuki then, Hibiki.'

"Yeah!"

Soon after that, we finally arrived at Ooriya Ramen Shop. As we walked inside, I could hear a familiar rugged voice with a burning passion inside it echoing across the shop.

"Welcome to Ooriya! Ramen Shop!"

He would always say 'Ooriya' the loudest. I couldn't help but feel motivated by the loud and passionate shout.

"As passionate as always, Akita-ojisan!"

A masculine figure was standing in front of us with a large smile on his face. He was wearing a white t-shirt with the shop's logo on it. He also wore an apron which was crucial for most cooks. He was wearing black trousers and black sport shoes too. His face could also be said to be like a true man. Black eyes, bushy eyebrows and a mustache on top of that. If he wasn't a true man, who was?

"Ah, Yuuki! Welcome back! And look who we have here!"

While I was chatting happily with Akita-ojiisan, the other idols were surprised that I was talking to a big and muscular man who looked scary. They didn't say anything for a while, but Nii-san came forward and bowed before greeting the man he hasn't seen for years.

'Long time no see, Akita-ojisan."

"Hahaha! Welcome back, 'Producer'!"

When Akita-ojisan knew about Nii-san's job, he was shocked. I couldn't blame him. Even I was as shocked as him.

"Y-You knew?"

"Of course! You were on the entertainment section of the newspaper a few months ago! Did you even read your own news?"

"Sorry, I was so busy that I didn't even notice it. I normally check up on the other idols' news."

For me, when I saw the entertainment section, I would instantly throw it aside. If I paid even more attention, I would know about Nii-san's job earlier…

_That means Mom knew it all along…_

As opposed to me, my mother always read the entertainment section. She would always pick up the discarded newspaper and read it…

"Hey, hey, let's not get all of these guests waiting! Let me see… 1, 2, 3… 17 people. Okay, 17 specials, coming right up! By the way, Yuuki, lead 'them' to that room, okay?"

Akita-ojisan then quickly darted off to the kitchen to prepare the ramen. After that, I led them to a room that Akita-ojisan valued the most, the karaoke room. I normally stayed away from that room. Even though it was off-limits, he would always ask me to go in. But since I'm becoming an idol, I might as well familiarize my surroundings…

As I opened the door to the room that I never even entered before, I could feel the cool breeze coming from inside. As I took a closer look, I saw that it was different that the shop. It had a bar feel in it. Table and chairs were painted dark red and black. On top of the tables were a single rose placed inside a vase. A stage could be seen at the very end; a microphone stand and a television screen in front of the stand to look at the lyrics while singing. A bar was also present, with bottles of sake lined up in the racks.

_Wow, I never knew that the karaoke room was like this…_

"Hmm, nice decorations…"

Shachou finally spoke up, which was surprising because I haven't heard a word from him after the concert. At this time, Akita-ojisan came in with 17 bowls of ramen. As he carried those ramen all by himself to the tables, the others were surprised and gasped looking at this rare feat.

"Okay, 17 bowls of the Ooriya Special!

As he served the ramen, Shachou approached him and asked,

'Very interesting room you have there, Akita-san."

"Thanks! One very important person inspired me to build this room. I promised him that his family would one day be the first and only ones to step foot in here and sing their hearts out!"

"I see… Won't that promise be broken if we come in?"

Akita-ojisan then rubbed his chin and replied,

"Nah, don't worry. Because Yuuki is going to be an idol soon, he needs all the help he can get. So, having you guys here with him and supporting him, I think breaking that promise would be fine. Besides, I think that man would also agree with me."

After that, we sat down and at Akita-ojisan's ramen. As I tasted it, I could savor the tasty and refreshing flavor of the soup from continuous hours of boiling the pork ribs into the soup. The noodles had a springy texture and were just right. In other words, the ramen was very delicious.

"Wow, I haven't tasted this ramen in years and the taste is still the same!"

It looked like Nii-san also agreed with me that the taste was the same as we ate a few years ago. The other idols were also saying the same thing.

"Wow, this ramen is delicious."

"Yeah, I agree. This ramen really is good."

For Takane-san, she immediately finished her bowl of ramen, leaving nothing behind. After that, she raised her empty bowl, saying,

"One more, sir."

"Okay, ma'am! One more, coming right up!"

Before he left us again, Akita-ojisan turned his attention to me and winked while saying,

"I've finished preparing the stage. I expect a good performance from you when I come back, Yuuki!"

_Okay, now I'm feeling scared…_

I hadn't stood on stage for 5 years. How was I supposed to stand on stage without feeling nervous?

"Okay. Let's introduce ourselves one by one first, okay? Everyone has to say their name and sing a song. Let's start with… me!"

The red-haired girl then stepped forward and did as she said.

"My name is Amami Haruka! Today, I'm going to sing 'I Want'!"

The other idols, including Nii-san, Shachou and the receptionist, clapped their hands and cheered for her. As the music started, Haruka-san was already singing and dancing to the tune. Her voice and movements were so powerful that I was mesmerized by her movements…

**Wherever we descend…fall…if we continue,  
We can go higher and higher to new heights!  
For how long will we completely burn…scorch?  
Yearn for it and fly…soar anywhere!**

After the song ended, I couldn't help but clap for her wonderful performance. As she stepped down from the stage, the twins came forward and did the same as her.

"Futami Ami,"

"Futami Mami,"

"We're the Futami twins! Okay, let's start with 'Do Dai'!"

**I got three different replies… can't be helped…  
Anyways, just bring out what you can dish out!  
But don't say "Your special feature is that you don't have a special feature!"**

**My thinking time is 3 times longer than usual,  
personality, looks, and other things  
are complete! Well now...  
I SCREWED EVERYTHING UP…T_T**

Throughout the twins' performances, their childish voices and lively dances lightened up everybody's mood. It made me feel a little happier, even though I was still scared of going onstage…

The next to step up onstage was a long and blue haired girl whose expression isn't very cheerful at all…

"I'm Kisaragi Chihaya, and I will sing 'Aoi Tori'."

**Bluebird,  
Even if happiness  
Is close by,  
Towards the sky  
I shall fly,  
And believe in my future.  
I will not forget you,  
But I cannot turn back to yesterday.**

As soon as she sang, I was amazed. Her voice was like a songstress. A smooth and powerful voice that could shake the hearts of millions of people. Almost nobody could compare to her, but it wasn't the first time I heard a voice like that, though…

I remembered someone's voice when I was a baby. Even though I couldn't remember his or her face, the voice was still ringing in my ears till now. I tried to search for the person who sang, but it was futile. Hearing Chihaya sing like that made me think if I should search again…

Time soon passed, and it was soon my turn. My heart was racing very quickly. What should I do to lengthen the time? My mind was blank. At that time, it was Miki's turn to stand here, but she was still sleeping…

_I can't let my turn come that fast. I have to wake her up!_

"Miki, wake up. It's your turn…"

I gently tapped her shoulder, which prompted her to wake up. She yawned and stretched her arms, muttering,

"Afuu… Ah, it's Miki's turn? Okay, I'll work hard for Honey…"

_Honey? She's working hard to earn some honey?_

I wanted to ask her about the honey thing, but I didn't have the chance as she rubbed her eyes and walked up to the stage. As soon as she held the microphone, she was different than what she was just now; Lively and cheerful, just like that time on the concert…

"Miki's name is Hoshii Miki! I want to dedicate this song to Honey!"

The music started, and what happened next made my jaw drop. It was like I was watching the concert again. Fluid and powerful moves; Even her voice was wonderful. Among the idols, she was the one who stood out the most. Now I knew why Ta-kun like her that much…

**Don't say "so long",  
Say "see ya later".  
I don't care if you're not ever gonna be mine,  
Just being with you is enough.  
If you ever get tired of her then call me straightaway,  
And hold me till I break apart.**

After she boed out and stepped down from the stage, she immediately ran to Nii-san's side, stopping and facing towards him, asking,

"Honey, Honey, how did Miki do out there? Was it good?"

"It was a great performance, Miki."

Watching Nii-san smile like that in front of her, I couldn't stand it. I wanted Nii-san to praise me too, but I was still scared to perform. I tried to see if anyone didn't sing yet, but everyone sung… Yayoi, Takane, Hiibiki… Nobody was left, and I had to accept that fact.

_What should I do?_

There was nothing I could do. I just have to go onstage and perform. Who couldn't do that? Wrong, I was one of the people who was scared to stand on stsge…

"Okay, next up is Yuuki!"

Even worse. Now I was thinking of going to the toilet and hide myself until they left.

"You okay, Yuuki?"

Makoto, seeing me just standing there, approached me with a worried look on her face.

"No, I'm actually scared to go up…"

After hearing that, Makoto rubbed her chin and thought for a while. After that she saidwith a thumbs up:

"Hmm… I know! How about me and Yukiho go up with you? Just sing anything, we'll back you up!"

I was a bit relieved that there was someone to help me. After hearing Haruka shouting my name a few times, I finally walked up to the stage with Makoto and Yukiho, who was a little scared to perform with me…

"B-but Makoto, he's a guy…"

"Don't worry, Yukiho. Just picture him as a girl! Actually, he already looks like a girl, so don't worry about it!"

_Another hurtful remark… So much for backup…_

After walking a few steps, I found myself on the center of the stage, with Yukiho on my left and Makoto on my right. I couldn't grabbed the microphone properly, as it fell to the floor. As I picked it up, I heard Nii-san's voice from the crowd.

"Don't be scared! Remember the times you performed to me in the past!"

_Now I remember…_

I used to sing and dance no matter where I was. While I was performing, everyone was looking at me and cheering me on. The reason I wasn't scared was because Nii-san was watching. I couldn't let him see me fail, and that was why I could cope with having everybody watching me perform in the past…

_Nii-san is looking at me. I can't be scared, not now!_

I was hesitant of what song to choose at first, since I hadn't heard any for the last 5 years, but one particular song floated in my mind. I immediately grabbed a hold of my microphone and shouted loudly.

"My name is Tatsuki Yuuki! Today I'm going to sing 'Jibun Restart'!"

That song was the song that reached out to me. I couldn't think of a better song than this.

The others cheered loudly as the music started. I wanted to dance too, but I didn't know the steps. The only thing I remembered was the lyrics that touched my heart…

**I'm not just denying how I lived up to yesterday.  
I could see the path I'll advance on from now on.  
Because rather than being nothing more than a weak girl, I prefer to show off.**

**Even if it means biting the bullet or pushing my limits.**

Wow, it had been long since I sang and I didn't know my voice was this good. My singing voice was a bit low, but it actually sounded like the voice I had when I was a kid. Though it sounded like a girl's, everyone liked my singing and cheered even louder. Yukiho and Makoto were doing a pretty good job too, dancing together and backing me up when I forgot the lyrics.

_I haven't had this much fun in ages!_

I felt like nobody could stop me. The audience was going wild, Nii-san was also cheering for me. Nothing could stop this day from being the best day of my life!

**When I stand on the sparkling stage, I can taste the greatest sensation.  
May this moment when everything is rewarded never end.  
If this is a dream, then don't wake me up!**

**Like a bird flying through the skies, I want to spread and flap my wings.  
No matter how far it is, I'll go to the world I yearn for.  
I don't want to let it end as just a dream.**

As the music ended, the others made a thunderous applause. My breathing became heavy due to the singing. I was exhausted, but I didn't care.

I could already hear the other idols praising me as I stepped down from the stage.

'That was great, Yuuki!"

"Good job, Yu-kyun!"

"Ara, that was a nice performance."

As I walked back to my seat, Makoto then approached me and high-fived me before saying,

"Wow, you're a great singer!"

"You're a very good dancer yourself back there."

"Thanks. Eh hehe…"

Makoto's face went a little red when she heard me compliment her. She scratched the back of her head and walked back to her seat together with Yukiho.

I heard everyone praising me from every direction, but there was one person who I really wanted to hear the most…

I quickly went to Nii-san's table to hear if he has anything to say to me.

"Nii-san, how did I do back there?'

"It was great. I haven't seen you perform in years, but seeing you perform back there really takes me back…"

_He praised me! It's been so long since he praised me!_

While I was lost in my thoughts, Nii-san continued talking:

"So, let's work hard together and aim for Top Idol."

"Yeah!"

After that, it was time for us to go back to our homes. Speaking of which…

"Oh no. Mom's ramen!"

I forgot to take the ramen back to her1 She must be at work right now.

That means… Oh no, I hope she didn't cause a fire…"

As I panicked on what would happen to the house, Akita-ojisan patted my shoulders and said,

"Don't worry, Yuuki! I already sent the ramen to your mother before you arrived.'

"Eh, how did you-"

"A phone call, of course! Rika-chan phoned me a while ago to send the ramen to your house. She didn't want her son to worry about her and let you have some fun yourself!"

Hearing what he had said, I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Mom…"

_Looks like me and Mom have gotten closer to each other…_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**_ Long time no see, guys. So, I was back from National Service for a while and decide to use the few days of my break to continue this. The next chapter will come maybe next month, I think…_

_Anyway, I am sorry if there are any mistakes in this chapter, since I'm on a tight schedule and can't focus on reading the whole chapter. Any mistakes in this chapter, please tell me. I'll focus on correcting those next month. Bye!_


	6. Chapter 5

Yuuki's POV

"Ah, today was the best day of my life!"

That was the first thing I said when I entered my room. I couldn't believe that so much happened in just one day; the concert, meeting with Nii-san, the after-party and my first time on stage since the last 5 years… If I knew that this would happen if I resumed my life of singing and dancing, I would be happy to return to it!

But all of those events made me feel exhausted. I felt like just closing my eyes would put me into a deep sleep. After I finished showering and changed into my black and white coloured pajamas, I thought about what to do before I went to sleep. I wanted to call Nii-san and talk to him again, but he must also be tired after handling that big concert. It would be better if I just let him rest for a while…

_Oh yeah, maybe I should call Kuromi. I haven't seen her since I saw her with Ta-kun before the concert started…_

I reached for my cell phone and dialed her number. We would always talk on the phone every night, discussing about our everyday lives or talking about anything of interest. Because of this, we would know each other's troubles and try to solve them together. After a few seconds, I could hear her voice on the phone.

"Hi, Yuuki."

"Hey, Kuromi. How was the concert?"

I thought that she would say that she had a good time, since Ta-kun won't do anything stupid to anger her, I think. But what I heard next was…

"Never speak of it again…"

It was the Demon of Kougami High talking to me at that time. Hearing this voice made my body froze. If she used this tone, it either meant that she was upset or extremely pissed off. Making a wrong move might lead me to my demise the next time I see her…

"That idiot was waving his hands like an crazy maniac and always shouted beside my ears , talking about the idols and how good their performances were…"

_Looks like I was wrong… I can't believe that you would do that to a girl. Even worse, you would do such a thing to your enemy… I'll prepare some flowers when I visit your grave, buddy…_

"A-Anyway, did you enjoy the concert? How was it?"

There was a slight pause from her before she continued talking, this time in her normal tone.

"Oh. Yeah, it was good. I met a man whom I could talk to normally. He was a producer from your cousin's agency. I think he was searching for someone named Miura Azusa…"

"Oh, you meant Nii-san? Yeah, I can't believe that he has to manage nine idols on his own. He really has a hard time on him…"

"That's your relative? He looks like a very kind and heartwarming person. It was a relief that someone managed to find Miura-san, though…"

"…Y-Yeah, what a relief…"

I tried to lie my way out before she realized what really happened. I couldn't let her know that I met the idols and was going to make my debut. I wanted to surprise her later with that news. But, it was hopeless as I heard the demon's voice again…

"Wait a minute, that slight pause… You're lying, right? Then that means…"

Looks like nothing could get past Kuromi. She managed to figure out everything about me during the years we spent as childhood friends. My habits, hobbies, weaknesses… As expected, you can't hide anything from her.

I finally gave up on keeping the secret and said it while sighing heavily.

"Looks like I got exposed… It was me…"

After another slight pause, I heard her normal voice. However, it sounded like she was pretty sad about me keeping a secret.

"…I expected as much. So, how did it go for you?"

"Well… I managed to meet the other idols and joined their agency as an idol too…"

"…"

Judging by the long pause, she was really shocked by what I just said.

"…So that means you'll forget the past?"

After hearing what she just said, my mind froze for a moment. I was still afraid that the horrible past five years ago would haunt me I become an idol. But, the words that Shachou said to me rang soundly in my head the moment I thought of the past. I took a deep breath before answering with all of my courage.

"Whenever something bad throws at you, just overcome it and keep moving forward. I hope that I can forget my past and become the idol that I always wanted to be years ago. Even though I'm still scared of that past, I would rather continue on."

"…"

Another long pause. Looks like Kuromi was thinking deep about what I had just said. It was the first time I ever seen her like that. Maybe it was because of me. Since that unforgettable incident, I had been living a carefree life. Not thinking about anything and living a carefree life, only caring about letting others see me as a man. Because of that, my life was pretty much empty during those five years. It was like I lost something precious that I shouldn't have lost. After that performance inside Akita-ojisan's ramen shop, that empty feeling was finally gone. I finally felt that my life had a meaning again.

"Well then, that's good for you. I'm really happy that you decided to face your past. Maybe I'll buy your single when it comes out."

After hearing that, I laughed out of sheer happiness and said happily.

"Thanks! How about we meet at the train station on Monday? I'll introduce you to them."

"O-Okay then… Bye, Yuuki."

"Bye, Kuromi."

After she hung up, I let out a deep sigh. Judging by her reaction just now, she was nervous about meeting with them.

_She still hasn't changed, ahaha…_

I grabbed my cell phone tightly and laid down on my bad, hugging my pillow and thinking about the great things that would happen tomorrow. I couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

_Okay, it's time that I forget all of these bad memories. Tomorrow, is a brand new day._

* * *

Producer's POV

"Wow, today was very tiring…"

I opened the door to my apartment and took out my shoes and jacket before lying on the sofa, feeling exhausted about after handling such a big concert. My apartment could be called normal for anyone who looks at it; a large room which served as my living room, kitchen and bedroom plus a bathroom. My apartment was decorated with white walls and grey floors. I have been living here since I left Kyoto, so it was my third home. But I still cherished living at Yuuki's house…

I couldn't believe that I would see him after all these years. He had changed quite a lot since that time. I took out my wallet and took out a photo. I couldn't help but smiled at the photo. Inside that photo was me and Yuuki while we were still young. My appearance was still the same after all these years, but Yuuki's appearance was much different than what he looked like now; white, long hair and wearing a white and frilly dress with a red bow on his neck. If I showed this to anyone, they would think that this girl, who was actually a boy, would be my little sister.

"He sure has changed…"

I also remembered the time when he first called me Onii-chan for the first time. That was the time when we first met…

_Flashback_

"Yuuki, today there is going to be a new member joining our family for a while. Say hello to your distant relative!"

"N-Nice to meet you, Yuuki…"

"His parents are going overseas for work. So, he'll be staying with us for a while. Treat him like your big brother, okay?"

"Okay! Nice to meet you, Onii-chan!"

"O-Onii-chan?!"

"Yeah! You're my big brother. So, let's be together, okay?"

_Flashback end_

I was shocked when he called me Onii-chan like that. I already knew his true gender at that time, so him dressing up like a girl and calling me Onii-chan were really surprising. But that pure and innocent smile made me forget that he was a boy.

Plus, he was a very talented singer and dancer. Whenever he was pretending to be an idol, and I was the audience, I was captivated by his performance. It was like watching a true idol on stage. Thinking about those unforgettable memories made me wonder why he stopped singing and dancing. What happened to him in that incident five years ago?

I wanted to know, in order to help Yuuki, but nobody would speak about it. Even Yuuki's mother won't tell me anything, saying that Yuuki doesn't want anyone to bring up his horrible past…

No matter what, he was now joining 765 Pro, striving to become an idol once more. I promised that I would protect him and help him become Top Idol.

That… was the only thing I could do for now.

* * *

Meanwhile, at 765 Pro's agency, Takagi Juunichirou was sitting on his chair at his office at the agency, looking at the bright yellow moon that shone in the sky. As he was enjoying the beautiful view, Kotori came in with a cup of hot green tea on her hands, handing it to him while saying with a bright smile.

"Shachou, here's your tea."

"Ah, thank you, Kotori-san."

"By the way, Yuuki's performance was really good."

"I agree. Plus, he hasn't singed and danced for 5 years. He's really one talented idol. Makes me feel like someone I remember a long time ago. She was one remarkable idol. Even Kuroi can't comment on that. But there was that one incident which made her and her producer quit. That was one horrible incident. And Kuroi-kun and I had a rocky relationship after that."

"I remember that incident too. I wonder how she's doing nowadays."

"I have a good feeling that I know. The only problem now is 961 Pro. Even though Jupiter left and Kuroi hasn't been doing anything lately, but I feel that when Yuuki-kun debuts, he won't just sit around idly. Let's hope that he could overcome these challenges…"

"I hope so too. Well, I'm going back to work."

"Ah, please do."

After Kotori left the office, Takagi took a sip of his tea while continuing to enjoy the view.

Meanwhile, at an office in a high building situated at the heart of Tokyo, a man was sitting at his seat, thinking of his next move to play in chess. As a shadow moved closer and handed him a document, he smiled evily as he read the contents, throwing it onto his desk afterwards and made his move, knowing that this move will be the one to lead him into checkmate.

"Ah. So those 765 Pro brats are looking for a new producer… Looks like Takagi can't handle the pressure after all, hahaha!"

"Shachou, please let me help the company by disguising as their new producer and crush them from the inside."

After hearing those words, he turned to look at the outside view and said.

"I'll leave it to you then… Judging by your records, even Takagi won't turn a blind eye on you."

"Thank you, Shachou. We, 961 Pro will definitely crush 765 Pro."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **_Long time no see, guys. As you can see, I'm back from National Service. Yay! Those 3 months really were a torture for me… So, I've been doing a lot of thinking and I decided to try and balance my time between my stories. So, updates for this story might be slow. But I can give you a hint of next chapter. Yuuki's nightmares return again. Will he be able to escape from the dream world that is the world of the Puchidols?_


	7. Omake: Puchidols Return!

"*Yawn* Is it morning already? I better head to the agency fast…"

However, as I slowly rose up, I felt that something was amiss. The voice of seagulls chirping, the sounds of waves splashing, the salty smell, the feeling of sand on my hands…

"Wait a minute… What am I doing here?!"

I woke up to find myself in a deserted island surrounded by nothing but the vast blue sea. I looked at my surroundings and rubbed my eyes to see if it was a dream. I wondered why I ended up here. But-

That's when everything came flowing back into my mind. A paper that was thrown like a shuriken, a Demon's Fist, a laser, a man-eating bear, hot spicy tea, a horde of mini Harukasans chasing after me and getting teleported to a deserted island…

"I'm back in that horrible nightmare again…"

I still couldn't believe it. I thought that everything was over after those unforgettable events, but it looks like I was wrong…

Maybe a slap could wake me up…

And I did just that, and suffered the full brunt from it. I cried in pain as I rubbed my wound. Looking back at the white sand and the vast sea, I sighed heavily and muttered.

"Looks like I'm stuck in here again… Might as well take a look around here then…"

As I took a walk around the island for a while, I found out that the island wasn't deserted at all. There was a wooden hut just a few kilometers from the place where I woke up. It was just a simple hut built with wood and leaves from a coconut tree, but my jaw dropped as I looked at the carvings on the sign that wrote:

"765 Pro's property. Built by Minase Iori, Takatsuki Yayoi and Producer."

"…"

I couldn't believe what I just saw. Nii-san and the others were stuck here at some point. I wondered if all of the 765 Pro idols and staff idols are destined to be stuck in this world or am I just imagining a weird dream…

"This is just a dream, Yuuki. Don't lose yourself."

I wanted to believe that this was a dream. But the slap earlier was clouding my judgment. From the pain that I suffered earlier, this couldn't be a dream…

I didn't want to think about anything for a while, except thinking about taking a break. I entered the hut and found everything to be what I didn't expect. The place was clean for a house in a deserted island. There were also kitchen utensils arranged neatly in a wooden cupboard that I opened. Even a large black pot was present…

Looking at the black pot made my stomach growled loudly. I didn't know why I was hungry in a dream but I didn't care. Before I stepped outside to find food though, I suddenly heard a sound coming from the pot, like a cry for help…

"Ku…"

_Oh no, it's one of them again…_

I didn't want to meet one of them again after that last nightmare; the puchidols that were the mini versions of the 765 Pro idols and have special powers. For now, I had met the mini versions of Takane, Makoto, Iori, Hibiki, the Futami twins, Yukiho, Haruka and Azusa-san. So, maybe I would meet the rest of them in this dream…

My thoughts were true as I peeked into the black pot out of curiosity. As I leaned in closer, a petite figure with blue long hair immediately jumped onto my face and held onto it tightly, causing me to struggle for air. However, she then climbed onto the top of my head a few minutes later. After gasping for air and looking at the puchidol that clung on top of my head, I noticed that she looked like Chihaya.

"H-Hi there, are you lost or something?"

I tried to engage her into a conversation, just like the others. Expectedly, she also replied.

"Ku…"

I didn't know why, but I seem to understand what she said. Not only that, I could hear what the puchidols were really saying. She said yes. She was supposedly left here when Nii-san forgot to take her back to the agency…

Hearing what she said made me think otherwise. Nii-san wouldn't do something like that. He would help anyone in trouble, and doesn't forget anyone.

_Maybe the Nii-san it said was a fake…?_

Of course; I had known Nii-san for years. There was no way he would do something like that. I clenched my fists in determination and said.

"If that's so, I'll send you back to the agency, okay?"

"Ku!"

The mini Chihaya then smiled and patted on my head for a few times. I didn't mind it at first, but I began to feel more annoyed by her patting. I wanted to tell her to stop, but after looking at her cute face again; I couldn't do anything but ignore her patting.

As we walked out of the wooden hut in search for food, we came across something that was even unexpected in a deserted island; a vending machine, complete with food and drinks inside, waiting for someone to purchase.

_I can't believe it, but this dream is fairly convenient when it comes to granting wishes…_

I walked towards the conveniently placed vending machine and looked at the list. Luckily, there was a tin of hot red bean soup that could satiate some of my hunger. I then proceeded to pull out a 500 yen coin out of my purse. As I was going to insert the coin however, I accidentally dropped it which hit onto a rock and made a *clink* sound. When I tried to pick it up though, a shadowy figure suddenly grabbed the coin in a fast speed.

"Hey, that's mine!"

When I turned my attention to the person or thing that stole my coin, I found a mini version of Yayoi holding the coin in her hands and biting it.

"Hey, that's-"

I wanted the coin back so I moved towards her, making a very stern face. But looking at its cute face and, pleading with mercy that I give it the coin, I couldn't resist and gave up on taking it back.

"Alright, you can take it…"

"U!"

The mini version of Yayoi then made a face with gratitude and smiled while biting the coin. She said that she could help me get out of this island. After hearing that, I was surprised and asked.

"How would you help me?"

Upon asking that question, she quickly ran towards the jungle. Puzzled by what she meant, I finally understood what she meant when she came back with Miurasan.

"Ah, good idea! Maybe we can use Miurasan to teleport back to the agency."

Remembering what to do before, I readied to clap my hands. The puchidol, named Miurasan, also did the same.

"Stand by~"

After I clapped my hands, I found myself back in the office. Finding a place to sit due to exhaustion, I looked at the surroundings and saw that nobody except the puchidols were here.

"I'm so tired and hungry…"

After finding a place to sit, my stomach continued growling. I really wanted to get out of the office and search for some food but I was still tired and lazy to do anything at the moment. Having no choice, I looked at my surroundings in search for food. After a while, my eyes fixated on the plate of onigiri lying on the table.

"Finally, food…"

I stood up and quickly walked towards the onigiri, hoping that no one would snatch it. As I picked it up with a smile and prepare to stuff it into my mouth, a puchidol who looked like Miki jumped up and snatched it before I stuffed my hand into my mouth and bit it due to the hunger.

"Ouch! That hurts…"

Looking back at her, she was still holding the onigiri. It was my chance to take it before she eats it!

"Give it back!"

"Nano!"

A huge fight then occurred. A boy versus a puchidol, just for the sake of food… Kuromi is going to see me as a bully, taking food from an animal, human or maybe doll… But there was no time to think about that, my hunger and sanity was at stake right now!

I reached my hands for the onigiri as fast as I could, but the mini Miki was very fast, dodging my hands and provoking me to touch her and get back the onigiri. After a while, my body was taking its toll. I slumped down and reached out my hands for the last time as I saw her eating the onigiri.

"No, the onigiri…"

I was starting to resent staying in this dream. I wanted to get back to my normal life, but it wouldn't happen that easily. As I lay down on the floor, tears beginning to form in my eyes, I found mini Kotori-san flying, which was very strange, while holding a bento.

"I-Is it for me?"

"Pi!"

"Thank you!"

I graciously accepted the bento and immediately stuffed my mouth. The soft texture of the white and fluffy rice, the juicy and crunchy fried chicken, the sweet and tangy tomatoes… Even though I eat my own cooking every time, it felt good to eat a bento from a convenience store.

"Thanks for this delicious meal!"

After I had eaten the bento, my throat was a little dry. While looking for some water, I found Yukipo walking forward with another cup of green tea. I would graciously accept it, but after the incident with the twin puchidols and the spicy green tea, I was skeptical of drinking it.

"Did the twins put anything in it?"

Once I saw her shaking her head, I placed the cup beside me and patted her on the head, thanking her for the tea. However, while I was patting Yukipo I saw a mini version of Ritsuko-san scolding towards my direction.

"Mo! Mo!"

"What's wrong?"

Upon looking behind me, I saw the twins standing there with a bag of wasabi powder. It looks like I caught them red-handed. I wanted to scold them, but I didn't need to as the mini Ritsuko-san, known as Chicchan did her job the same as what Ritsuko-san would do: scolding them.

Looking back at the event that happened till now, even though I hate being in this dream, but I love spending time with the puchidols, though some of them played pranks or accidentally tried to kill me.

"I wonder… Would I see you guys again?"

The puchidols then nodded their heads in agreement. Looking at this, I smiled and took a short nap on the sofa.

As I opened my eyes, I found myself to be back on my bed, remembering the events of my dream. Looking at the bright sky outside the window, I wondered,

_If I don't meet them again, maybe I won't suffer the same fate next time?_

* * *

_**Author's Notes: **__Sorry, this took longer than I expected… There were many reasons that this chapter was delayed. Plus, the ending for this chapter isn't very good, I think… But I promise that the adventures of Yuuki and puchidols won't end that fast. Next chapter will continue where the main story was left off, so look forward to it!_


	8. Chapter 6

It was a day like any other. It was the day that I couldn't wait the most…

The day I officially become an idol.

After yesterday's turn of events, it was decided that I would join the idol production agency 765 Productions, which housed 13 idols and their producer, who was my distant relative that I hadn't seen for a long time. The reason I joined them was to return to the world of singing and dancing, both of them which I shunned since I went to middle school. Another one of the reasons was to help me become a man, since everyone always see me as a girl.

Because of my excitement to become an idol, I could hardly sleep that night, turning my body left and right or even look at the clock to see if it was time. As a result, I was deprived of sleep and was yawning a lot the next day. Even my mother, Hinata Rika, saw my yawning face while I was making breakfast and asked with a chuckle,

"My, my. Isn't someone excited to become an idol?"

I quickly closed my gaping mouth after hearing her say that, my face turning red.

"I-It's none of your business!"

She still smiled after I scolded her. It's been a long time since I had gotten this close with her. Usually we'll just talk about how we were doing and what's for dinner. Well, mostly all the blame was on me. She would always come up with topics to say, only for me to talk for a minute before the air around us became tense. All of that changed after that concert. I had heard from Nii-san that she had already asked him to take me in, even though he already has a lot on his hands. Because of that, it looked like one of the reasons I was able to join was because of her.

After I finished making the breakfast, which was a bowl of white rice paired with grilled salmon with miso soup, we sat down and enjoyed the food. I had been cooking for a long time, so the taste had been gradually improving bit by bit. I knew how to make a lot of dishes, but as they always say, the simplest food is always the tastiest.

"Well, I am going now. I'll be back early to prepare dinner."

I washed my plates and quickly put on my shoes before heading out to the agency, hearing my mother's words before I head out.

"Be careful on your way!"

As I arrived at the train station, I heard a familiar voice from my phone, telling me that I got mail. I opened the phone found out that message was from Ta-kun. It read:

'Hey, Yu-kun! It's the first day of summer break! Wanna hang out with me? I'm still going to show you how great the idols are! By the way, I can't believe you would give your ticket to Kaichou-san. I got an earful from her while you weren't there… Oh yeah, the concert was awesome! You should have been there! Everyone performed well, especially Hoshii Miki…"

_He wrote such a long message, just to tell me that he wants to hang out? Geez, it's so long that I can't even see the bottom…_

I quickly dialed his number, telling him that I was busy. After a while, I heard an enthusiastic Ta-kun on the line.

"So, Yu-kun. You'll go out with-"

"Rejected."

"Eh?! Why is that?"

"I'm busy today. I have to help my mother with some chores at home, so maybe some other day."

_That was a horrible lie, but I can't let him know I'm going to the agency!_

"Then what about tomorrow?"

"I'm going out with Kuromi that day. Sorry."

_Whoops…_

"With Kaichou-san?! On a date?!"

"I-It's not a date! We're just hanging out."

"Hmm… I see… Well then, tomorrow it is then!"

_Looks like this idiot wants to get killed by Kuromi…_

"Wait a second, you can't come tomor-"

Before I was going to tell him not to meet me tomorrow, he immediately hung up from me. He always did like to do things that will get him into trouble… Because of him, I am going to receive a scolding from Kuromi tomorrow. Plus, he hasn't even known that I was going to become an idol, let along being signed with the idol agency that he likes the most.

Thinking of my actions just now, I slapped my face because of my stupidity. Now I had to go with Kuromi and avoid getting seen by Ta-kun. I could imagine the horrors waiting for me the next day…

After getting the train to Tokyo, I began reading the newspaper that I bought just a while ago, just to pass the time. For the first time, I flipped over to the entertainment news section and found the 765 Pro idols on the news. It highlighted the events of the concert that day, detailing who came out, what songs did they sang to and even the talk sessions they had with the audience. It also just happened that they also wrote that Azusa-san got help from an unknown stranger before the concert started. I still couldn't forget what happened with Azusa-san yesterday, but I was happy that my name wasn't mentioned. If it does, I think I would make many enemies in school when it reopens, including Ta-kun and Kuromi…

Putting down the newspaper, I looked towards the scenery outside the train's window. It was different than Kyoto; there were more high-rise buildings here, covering the sky behind them. A lot of people were walking on the crowded roads, some even running to their workplace to avoid being late. It had a different atmosphere from Kyoto, which I could describe as a quiet and peaceful place full of its old cultures. Tokyo was the opposite of that, being a more modern and bustling city.

'We have arrived at Tokyo station. I repeat, we have arrived at Tokyo station….'

I got out of the train, only to see people crowding around the train station. I rarely come to the capital, unless I have anything important to do there. So, I'm still getting used to the many things here. Pulling out a small paper that Nii-san gave me, which was the directions to the agency, I walked for a while before arriving at a small restaurant building. The paper said that the agency is in the building with the numbers '765' on the windows, so it was really a dead giveaway.

I entered the building from the back door and found two ways of getting there; an elevator or the stairs. Unfortunately, the elevators were still being repaired, so I had to walk four floors worth of stairs before I reached the entrance of the office. I had some stamina training when I was in middle school, having joined the Karate club at my school just to be manlier. Unfortunately, it didn't work and I ended up quitting it at the time I had a black belt. Because of the training, my body didn't even feel a bit of fatigue.

Standing in front of the entrance of the agency, I was nervous at first. My palms were sweating for no reason. Maybe it was because I was scared of making a wrong first impression to the other idols.

_Get a grip, Yuuki. It's going to be okay…._

Reminding myself not to get scared on the first day, I finally opened the door, only to meet the Futami twins standing there with big smiles on their faces.

"Good morning Yu-kyun! Welcome to our agency!"

The first one to speak up was the girl with a long ponytail tied on her left, Futami Mami. The other with her ponytail tied on her right was Futami Ami. It looked like they already knew that I was coming here, waiting for me to arrive…

"We wondered how long were you going to stand there, staring at the door and waiting to go in. Right, Mami?"

I was wrong. They saw me stand there like a complete idiot who was afraid for his first day of school…

"Quit teasing him, you two."

Ritsuko then approached us when she heard I had arrived, making a stern face at them. Afterwards she turned her attention towards and said with a smile,

"Welcome to our agency, Yuuki. We're really happy that you're joining 765 Pro."

"The same goes for me too. By the way, where's Nii-san?"

"Oh, you mean Producer-dono? Don't worry, he's just accompanying Miki on her schedule."

After hearing that he went out with Miki, my smiling face instantly frowned. I just can't imagine him being together with that thieving cat…

"It's one of his jobs, you know. You don't have to get angry at him."

Looking at my frowning face, Ritsuko-san made a stern face and said that as though she read my mind.

"Sorry…"

"So, our Yu-kyun has a liking for Nii-chan, eh…"

"Un un, so our Yu-kyun has stepped towards the forbidden line…"

My face blushed when I heard the Futami twins' words. By the forbidden line did they mean…

"W-wait! You've got it all wrong! I just like and respect him as a brother, t-that's all…"

"Oh, so that's it…"

Ritsuko-san then smiled, acknowledging my respect for Nii-san, I think… For the Futami twins though, they had a devilish smile compared to her. It looks like they aren't going to let this one slip through…

_I have to be careful of them next time…_

"Okay, on to business. Please come this way, Yuuki."

As I followed Ritsuko-san and the twins, I found that the agency wasn't as modern and big as I thought. I had imagined that idol agencies are the place where you would see records hanging at the walls, colorful decorations and furniture. Instead, what I saw was the opposite, plain and old furniture, boxes piled up at the corners of the walls, my perfect imagination of this place blew up the moment I saw these.

"Actually, we're just an ordinary agency. So we were only able to afford this kind of place. Sorry if it doesn't strike you as fancy."

Ritsuko explained this to me, seeing that I knew a lot of idol agencies are like mansions. I shook my head in disagreement after hearing this, saying,

"I don't mind, if I am able to work with Nii-san."

"Is that so… Well then, first let us register you as an idol…"

After a few steps, I saw the receptionist that was with the idols yesterday, standing with a pile of paper on her hands. I still didn't know her name yet though…

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Otonashi Kotori. Nice to meet you, Yuuki."

"P-pleased to meet you too…"

I didn't know why, but I felt something strange when she introduced herself. Her smile and her voice… It was like I was supposed to remember her, but I can't seem to put my eye on it…

"Kotori-chan will take care of everything for you. Now, excuse me while I send Ami and Mami to the studio."

"Bye, Yu-kyun! We'll see you later!"

"Yeah! Bye!"

After the three left the office, it was just me and Kotori-san inside the agency. Everyone had their hands busy with their schedules and were out for the rest of the morning. I felt tense and nervous the moment I realized that we were alone. However, Kotori-san was still calm despite being with a young guy.

"Let's get started, okay?"

"H-huh? Yeah…"

As we sat down and drank one of the teas served by Kotori-san, she pulls out a paper with the title 'Official Idol Registration' from her desk.

"Let's start, shall we?"

Kotori-san then asked me some questions about my personal information.

"Your name is Tatsuki Yuuki, your age is 17 years old, and your gender is… female-"

"Wait a minute, I'm a guy!"

"I-is that so? Sorry, I still can't get used to guys looking like girls…"

_Sigh… I really can't believe that she would treat me as a girl too… _

After a few minutes of getting information from me, the registration was finally finished. I sighed deeply at the amount of information the registration needed to become an idol…

"Hey, Kotori-san, are those information really needed?"

"Of course. This makes sure that the media and the fans would get to know you a little better."

"I see…"

Kotori-san then placed the papers into her desk and got back to her work. She told me that I would stay here for the rest of the morning until Nii-san comes and takes me for practice. Till then, she said that I could watch the television.

Looking inside the cupboard beside the television, I found recordings of the idols performing live or acting in a drama. All of the CDs were arranged neatly, with a space for each of the idols. However, I looked at the collection for a while and saw a name that doesn't belong to any of the idols in 765 Pro…

I asked Kotori-san about the name that was in the cupboard. Hearing this, she said,

"Oh. That was one of our rivals, Jupiter. They were the top idols for a while before they disbanded. Everyone hasn't heard of them since…"

"Can I watch it?"

"Sure. Maybe it would give you a hint as to how male idols perform."

After that, I placed the CD into the player and sat on the sofa. As the video began, I could already hear fangirls screaming loudly. Three silhouettes were seen on the stage before the light revealed three boys on the stage. The right one had green hair with a headband holding his long hair. The left one was a tall one with yellow and short hair. And lastly, the one in the middle had red and wavy hair. The three of them were very charming. No wonder they would have so many female fans. They were practically the very person I dreamed of becoming…

"Good evening, everyone! We, Jupiter, are going to sing 'Alice or Guilty'!"

As they introduced their song, the audience screamed even more. As the music started, everyone was practically cheering for the trio. It was almost the same sensation I felt from the concert yesterday; only that this one was far more intense.

_The city is a warped labyrinth.  
And in it I lose you...  
"Guilty..."_

When the performance ended, my heart felt like it almost skipped a beat. Their movements, their singing... It was on a level far from the 765 Pro idols. It made me wonder why a unit of such high caliber would disband…

However, that red haired guy in the middle looked very familiar. Even though Kotori-san was like a faint memory, I couldn't mistake that guy as anyone else though...

"Hey, Kotori-san. Who is that guy in the middle?"

Curious at that young man's identity, I decided to ask Kotori-san about it.

"That's Amagase Touma. He's the leader of Jupiter."

As expected, that name rings a bell... After losing myself in my thoughts for a while, it finally hit me…

"Ah! Onigashima Ransetsu!"

* * *

_**Author Notes**__:_ _Wow, this chapter was finally released! Sorry guys, it took me a while… Studies, work and writer's block affected this chapter. Plus, my English has gone rusty… I'm really sorry for having you guys wait this long. I'm not giving up on this, but my schedule is preventing me from touching this. Anyways, sorry for ranting too much and please look forward to the next chapter._


	9. Chapter 7

"I heard from Kotori-san. So, you knew Touma?"

Those were the words Nii-san told me while he was driving me to the studio. He quickly picked me up at the agency after dropping Miki there. Though it's only for a short while, I was able to be alone with Nii-san, which made me very happy…

"Yeah… I met him a few months after you left me and Mom."

"I see… So, how was he during that time?"

"Well… It's a long story…"

* * *

_Flashback_

"I-It's time to go home, Yuuki…"

"Ah, Kuromi. Okay then!"

School ended and it was time for me and Kuromi to walk back home. Before we left the school gates though, we saw two boys having a dance battle at the fountain. One of them was, as you guessed it, Onigashima Ransetsu or better known as Amagase Touma, while the other one was one of my classmates, who was a pretty good dancer. A radio was set up between them and a huge crowd was gathering around them. I thought that it would be interesting to look at so I walked closer and looked at their competition, with Kuromi walking behind me. Upon looking at the dance battle however, it was clear that the Oni would win as his moves were intense and full of feeling, with no mistakes made whatsoever. On top of that, his smile was so radiant that the girls were practically cheering for him. After the song ended, he stood there with a proud smile on his face.

"Hah, it looks like I won."

"Damn it…"

My classmate knelt down, exhausted after such an intense battle. He breathed heavily and his face showed discontent, as he lost to some stranger from another school. Wanting to help him, I rushed to his side and pulled him back up.

"You okay?"

"Ah, Yuuki. Just in time. Help me teach this guy a lesson…"

"Me?"

"Yeah. You're the only one that beat me other than him. I know you can do it!"

"Huh, so you're telling a girl to have a dance battle with me? Do you have any pride at all?"

The Oni who was watching frowned and continued to humiliate him. Not wanting my classmate get humiliated any further, I turned my attention towards him and said,

"If my classmate says so, let's have a dance battle, then."

"Oh? And you think you can beat me? How about a bet then, to liven things up?"

"Sure. If I win, you will have to apologize to my classmate. Plus, you're treating me to ice-cream."

"Then if you lose, you have to buy me cream soda, plus your name for now on will be 'Loser'."

"Then I'll call you… Onigashima Ransetsu!"

"What kind of stupid name is that!? Fine then, you'll lose anyway."

"Let us see first."

As the both of us prepare to battle, Kuromi gently tapped my shoulder and whispered,

"Yuuki, I-I don't think we should do this…"

"Don't worry, Kuromi. I'll win this, easy peasy!"

"Yeah, Masaki-san. Yuuki can't possibly lose. He isn't called the diva of our school for nothing!"

As the music played, both of us started our performance. My opponent's movements were still very fluid and intense. It looked like he wasn't even tired from that last battle. However…

"I'm not going to lose either!"

I got serious as soon as I saw him dance. I couldn't pull any light punches, as doing that will end up being my downfall. As expected, I could also hear the crowd around us cheering louder as we danced…

"Wow, both of them are pretty good, especially Yuuki. He can match up to that guy's movements…"

"Un, I think so too. I've never seen Yuuki so serious before…"

After a while, the song was slowly reaching its climax. My opponent was a very good dancer. However, there can be only one winner…

"How about we add a challenge? Whoever performs a back flip wins the dance-off!"

"Are you crazy!? You're wearing a dress!"

His face went red after hearing that, seeing as no girl would be so crazy as to do a back flip while wearing a dress…

"Don't tell me you're scared to do a back flip?"

"Grr… Alright, if that's what you want, so be it!"

_Alright, I convinced him to do a high level move… However, he was right about me being crazy… Oh well, I'll get ice-cream if I win so…_

Finally, the song had reached its climax, and the both of us did a back flip, as the challenge stated. However, because I wore a dress while dressing, my underwear was exposed during the back flip.

And everyone saw that scene, including the Oni, whose face went red after seeing that. His mind was so occupied that he actually fell down during the back flip. I completed mine, so that means…

"I won the bet! You're treating me to ice-cream!"

"Ugh… that was a dirty trick…"

The oni moaned as he swept the dust off his shoulders. His face was very angry, due to him losing the bet.

"I may have lost. But we're not finished yet. That battle just now was a fluke. I may have lost the bet, but I'll win the next time!"

"Sure, let's battle again. And I'll wear pants next time."

The battle concluded with me winning against the oni, and as a result I got treated to a double-scooped ice-cream with vanilla and chocolate flavors, plus the rights to call him Onigashima Ransetsu. Though I got to eat ice-cream for free, the news about battle between me and the oni spread like wildfire the next day, plus the news that my underwear was exposed…

Though the battle ended just like that, we would still compete against each other, with the loser having to treat the winner to either cream soda for Touma or ice-cream for me. The results were pretty balanced, with me winning 25 matches and Touma winning 25 too. Though we were rivals, I considered him as one of my closest friends.

We were supposed to have our final battle one day. However, in the end, he didn't show up, which left our battle unfinished. I never saw him again after that…

* * *

"So, he was your closest friend?"

"Besides Kuromi, yeah. It would be nice to see him once again, though…"

"Don't worry; you'll see him again someday."

Hearing Nii-san's encouraging words, I looked outside the window at the bright, blue sky and smiled.

"I hope so…"

After a few minutes, we finally arrived at the dance studio. We had to climb a few flights of stairs before opening the steel door. As we entered the studio, we could see that the trio of Yukiho, Makoto and Hibiki that I met at the concert were busy practicing. The song that they performed at the concert was playing too. Even though they were just practicing, I could tell they were fully concentrated on their performance.

**Raise me higher and higher, to the center of my being.  
Use that technique only you know to melt me completely.  
I'll collapse into whirling instincts, my heart throbbing.  
A dream just for tonight, let's dance fiercely!  
To my desire's content!  
Burn up fiercely!**

"Nice work, you three."

Nii-san walked towards them and passed them three bottles of water, which they happily accepted.

"Thanks, Producer, and good afternoon, Yuuki."

Makoto drank the water and greeted me with a smile on her face, which would instantly let a lot of fangirls scream girlishly at that scene.

"Good afternoon, Makoto, Yukiho, Hibiki."

Yukiho had a nervous look on her face as she held her bottle. Seeing as she was scared of men, it was no surprise that she would be like that. On the other hand, Hibiki also happily greeted me with a big smile on her face.

"Good day, Yuuki! Say, what brings you here?"

"Actually, Yuuki-kun was supposed to come here and have his dance practice. But, seeing as he doesn't have a debut song yet, I wanted to let him practice with you three to let him relearn his dancing skills."

"We would love to. Right, Makoto?"

"Yeah! Yukiho, you don't mind if he trains with us?"

"I-It's alright."

"Alright then, let's begin the training!"

Afterwards, Nii-san left the four of us in the studio and went back to the agency to resume working. Seeing as I didn't bring anything to wear for the dance practice, I just wore the clothing that I came in. Makoto and Hibiki then started the lesson.

"Okay, let's start our lesson! First things first, Yuuki, have you danced before?"

"Yeah, I did a lot of dancing while I was a kid. I also participated in some battles and competitions back then."

"Wow, that's great! Then you'll have no problem practicing the choreography of our song, right?"

Wow, I haven't danced in such a long time that I don't even know to dance anymore. I wonder if I could perform it, a song with such a high difficulty…

"I-I'll take that as a challenge."

"That's the spirit! Alright, let me teach you from the beginning."

_I can't believe I said that… It feels as though I'm digging my own grave…_

Makoto then faced towards the mirror and took a deep breath before performing the dance moves from the beginning for me to watch and copy.

"First off, turn your head towards the left before the music starts. After that, turn it back when you hear the sound of the door opening. Then put both of your arms down before extending your right arm towards the left. Next…"

She told me what to do while dancing slowly and clearly for me to remember. As expected from one of the best dancers during the stage, those difficult moves that were hard to master were a piece of cake for her. After I knew what to do for the few seconds of the song, Makoto stopped her dancing and said,

"Now, let me see how you perform."

"O-Okay…"

I was nervous as I looked at the reflection of myself in the mirror. Could I do all of this in one try? Actually, it was nearly impossible to copy all of her moves in a single try. However, I hurriedly calmed myself down and reminisced about the days when I used to dance. In order to dance like the idols on television, I practiced dancing day and night, without caring about anything else. All of that paid off during the dance battles between me and Touma, as we would always perform different moves each time. Because of that, my body could easily perform a lot of difficult moves and I would be able to dance to a newly released song when I saw the choreography once or twice. But that was back then; I don't know if I have what it takes to dance like I used to again…

"Don't worry, Yuuki! Just do your best!"

Hibiki tries to cheer me up, and it kind of worked, a little bit though…

_Alright Yuuki, just remember what you learnt back then… It's going to be alright…_

As the music played, I closed my eyes and tried to remember what Makoto did just now. However, it was just 5 seconds into the song and I already forgot what the next moves were...

_Oh no… What should I do now!?"_

Time seemed to stop at that exact same moment. Everyone was just there, not doing anything at all. Everything was in black and white. I couldn't hear anything. My mind was blank. Panic enveloped my body, making me feel as if everything halted.

_It's impossible. I can't do it… I really can't do it…_

Just as I was supposed to give up, my surroundings suddenly became brighter. When I closed my eyes and opened them again, I found myself in a white room. There was nothing around me as far as the eye can see…

However, a little girl was standing there, right in front of me. She had white, long hair and an adorable face which would make her loved by everyone. She was also wearing a simple white dress with white flip-flops. This girl was very familiar as I knew who she was at the start…

"You're… me…"

It was me in my childhood days. The one that I discarded long ago in order to hide the shame I experienced that day. The younger me then smiled and said,

"Come on, you can do it."

"It's impossible. I can't-"

"You're wrong!"

I was surprised by what my younger self had said. He then proceeded to dance right before my eyes. What she was dancing, was the dance moves that Makoto taught me. He did exactly what I saw from Makoto just a while ago. I saw it just once and he already knows the choreography. It was flawless. The younger me could even match up to Makoto. After he finished dancing, he turned towards me and said,

"There's no such thing as you can't do it. It's important that you try. By the way, what happened to the bigger me? There's no way that he would lose to someone in a dance battle, right?"

Listening to his words of encouragement, I slapped myself lightly in the face and cheered myself up.

"Alright, it's not like I'm going to lose…!"

I suddenly found myself back in the studio. Everything was back to the way it was, and I could hear the beginning of the song. Hearing this, I took a deep breath and pulled my thoughts together.

_You can do it… There's no way I'm going to lose to anyone… Not at the start!_

My mind was clear as I suddenly knew all the moves. Looking at my younger self dancing must have jogged my memory. Not only that, he also regained my confidence to dance and taught me not to give up easily…

After the song ended, I could see that the trio's jaws slightly dropped. They were very surprised that someone who just learned their dance could nearly perfect it.

Makoto was the one to break the silence as she clapped her hands and praised me.

"Wow! That was awesome, Yuuki!"

"Yeah! You're a fast learner! Didn't you say that you haven't danced for a long time?"

"I don't know… It just happened, I guess?"

Hibiki was deep at thought after I said that. Makoto then walked over to the radio and said,

"Oh well, let's practice again, okay?"

"Okay!"

The whole evening then ended with the four of us practicing at the studio. Though the lesson was short, due to the three of them having busy schedules, but I'm sort of grateful to them for helping me to regain my passion for dancing.

After I said goodbye to the people at the agency, I boarded the train home. While on the train, I finally remembered something…

"Oh no, I need to find a way to spend a day with Kuromi and not get interfered by Ta-kun…!"

Having just remembered about it, I was deep in thought for the rest of the journey home, trying to find a way…

* * *

_**Author's Notes: **__Sorry it took so long, again. It was the same old excuse, no time, pre-university life and of course, writer's block. If you read this chapter, many of you readers would notice that in this chapter I put Yukiho in it but she was like a dummy for the rest of the chapter… I could imagine Yukiho fans chasing me… Anyways, the next chapter will see Yuuki handle a day with Kuromi (or maybe a date?) while getting away from Takumi. Look forward to it! _


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